My first Publication Overtime November 2019 Merged PDF | Page 10

WHY DO
WE BODY
SHAME?
Body shaming is a growing
concern among young people,
but what can be done about it?
Words Mollie Quirk
M
any young people are campaigning against
body shaming these days, but ironically it is
usually young people who body shame other
young people.
Florence Grace Matthews is a presenter and self-
love advocate who was body shamed while holidaying
in Malta this summer. While at the Lost and Found
Festival 2019, Flo was walking around the venue when
Flo said that she believes “people who body shame
are just really insecure in themselves. They’re
projecting their own insecurities and when they see
someone who makes them feel insecure, they don’t
like it so they bully them and bring them down.”
“People who body shame are just
really insecure in themselves.
Although the bullies are clearly responsible for their
own actions, the media also plays a role in the ideals
and perceptions that people have. “I absolutely think
that the media needs to be held accountable, they are
she overheard a group of boys having a conversation
behind her.
“I was wearing a bikini and I had all matching
makeup and accessories. I honestly felt [that] I looked
the best I’ve ever looked in my life.” Flo explained how
she felt incredibly “confident” in herself before she
noticed the group of boys behind her. “I was aware
of this big group of boys walking behind me and my
boyfriend, and then I started hearing comments about
being fat and being disgusting.” Flo then explained
that one of the boys in the group said “I can’t walk
behind that” before the entire group crossed over the
road.
“I was so embarrassed and humiliated. And then the
same happened again when we left the pool party.” Flo
explained how this time it was a group of boys and
girls. “I was really embarrassed and I just wanted to
go home, I wanted to book the next flight back from
Malta to England. But my boyfriend wouldn’t let me
as he didn’t want the nasty people to win.” Flo then
spent the rest of the day in her hotel room, sulking
over her phone and posting about the ordeal online.
When Flo started sharing her story online, she
gained a lot of attention. “It was picked up by Annie
Mac, the founder of the festival. She shared it on her
[Instagram] stories and then suddenly everything just
blew up and from there loads of cool stuff happened.
I was interviewed by the Metro and BBC Radio One.
I went viral for four days. It was an overwhelming
period of time in my life.”
100% responsible and they are constantly pushing
these really out of reach ideals onto us and we are
constantly striving to meet them.”
Flo has been advocating for self-love and body
confidence ever since she fell in love with herself and
her body, which was long before the body shaming
incident in Malta. “When I saw how much it changed
my life, being so confident in my own body that’s when
I thought, you know what? I want EVERYONE to feel
the way that I feel right now, I want everyone to have
this revelation that I’ve had, to feel the way that I do,
to have this massive shift in mentality and I thought
I’ve just got to start getting people to this place!”
Flo advocates self-love and body confidence
through her blog www.lovefromflorencegrace.co.uk,
her podcast Blossoming and her Instagram account
(@blossominguk)
where
she
posts
photos
promoting being confident in one’s body. Being
body shamed hasn’t stopped Flo from loving herself.
In fact, it has made her more determined to help
others love themselves.
Flo’s Top 3 tips for becoming more
body confident:
CURATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
“Don’t follow people who make you feel bad about
yourself.”
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS &
POST-IT-NOTES
“Leave little love notes to yourself in places you
don’t expect to find them AND in places that you
will look every day. Write things on them that you
need to see like ‘I am worthy’ or ‘My body is fabu-
lous regardless of its shape or weight”
MAKE SURE YOU PRIORITISE
YOURSELF
Treat YOU the way you would treat a partner, a
best friend or your sister, and if you wouldn’t say
it to them or behave that way to them, then don’t
with yourself”
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