By Kelsey Philippe (@kelsey_philippe)
London advertisements for Protein World, a weight loss supplement, have sparked outrage. It showed a skinny, fit model asking, “Are you beach body ready?” People of both genders have taken to finding all the posters and vandalizing them in some way, shape or form.
Women in London were not happy with the idea of a poster telling them that in order to achieve that beach body, they’d need a skimpy bikini, a stomach flatter than the Great Plains and a waist similar to the proportions of a Disney princess.
I, for one, agree. The only thing you need to have a beach body is a body. That’s it. There are no other requirements. This shouldn’t be like riding a roller coaster where you must be so tall and can only weigh so much. There are no regulations about what is and what isn’t appropriate for the beach. If you have a body, regardless of shape, size or color, feel free show it off and head to the beach.
If you knew me, or even saw me in the halls, it would be easy to tell that I’m not skinny. There’s no one who would describe me as skin and bones. I have curves, and I love every inch of myself, despite the media’s standards of “beach body” readiness.
Many girls who have a physique like mine feel the need to cover up and hide their bodies. They feel that they don’t portray the typical ideals that media displays, and because of this, they will use whatever means necessary to not enter the water. They’ll wear a cover up over their swimsuits, say that the water is too cold or say that they’d rather just sit in the sun. Some will even go as far as making up imaginary plans in fear of heading to the beach and being shamed.
But then, here’s the thing: maybe you’re someone who feels happy with their body. You decide to go to the beach, and you actually want to go into the water. And then, Heaven forbid, you decide not to wear a cover up (gasp). People suddenly have the audacity to come up to you and tell you how brave you are. For wearing a swimsuit. To the beach. Like every. Other. Person.
So here’s a bit advice to anyone trying to figure out if they’re beach body ready. Look down at yourself. Do you have a body? Yes? Then go for it. Everyone is beautiful, and everyone should be confident enough to go out and embrace who they are without fear of embarrassment.