feeling good in our own skin

The world today, where the image of 'beauty' is represented by thin, fair, long-straight-haired girls wandering in magazines and magazines, has all it takes to trigger even little girls by the age of 5 or 6 to say "I'm fat!" *sigh. The littlest girls have been bombarded by the idea of looking pretty is to have a 'Barbie' figure. Often, many of them eventually take it to the extremes and ended up having eating disorders. 

Some girls in China and Korea have even made it a trend to have surgery to make their legs longer, as they are of models (whose picture of legs are brought along during consultations with the surgeon, saying "These are the legs I want to have"). Sure, the surgery only takes about a couple hours or so, but the recovery can take like, 5-6 months. It also includes physiotherapy (a special therapy to actually "learn" how to walk again, due to the now extensioned legs).  

 
It's understandable to have a desire to be beautiful. Don't we all want to be praised and own the feeling of acceptance in our community? It is very normal. I used to be that girl. Why...I can even say that I still am sometimes. Looking at the mirror, focused on body parts that I feel too fat or 'unlike that girl on TV'. Us, girls, can be the meanest self-critics when it comes to our body.

However, after I had a surgery 6 months ago, I realized that things could've been worse. My legs may be double-extra-large compared to Gisele Bunchen's, but they still take me to places; unlike some people who are born 'disable'. My cheeks may be chubby compared to Victoria Beckham with her edgy cheek bones, but I can still chew my food; unlike some people who have no choice but to be fed with liquid food down  their digestive system. My hair may be wavy and (often) challenging to manage, but it's still there, unlike some cancer patients who have lost their precious manes due to chemo.

And even if I do have weight issues, maybe I should review my daily intake. Perhaps I eat too much fried, salty and sugary food, perhaps I feel that food has become a blanket of comfort whenever I'm stressed out, perhaps I have grown the habit of rummaging the fridge when I feel bored. Deep down, I believe that the body has the intelligence to adjust itself, creating a balanced proportion when I begin to realize that it's not hunger, but emotions, that got me chewing those food (for comfort) at the first place. Hence, before taking a piece (or two) of a scrumptious-looking food, I may need to ask myself, "Do I really need this food or it's just my craving for something to get my mind off my issues?"