Body positivity becomes challenging when beauty norms create unrealistic expectations. Over time, it can lead to insecurity and self-doubt. Recently, Canadian singer Shania Twain opened up about struggling with body image issues and how certain situations made her feel powerless.
In a conversation with US Weekly, Shania revealed that she has been insecure about her body since she was young. The singer said, “As a female, throughout my youth, I was touched inappropriately so many times, I was in abusive situations, where I hated being a woman. I hated being a girl. My mother goes, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?' and I said, ‘A bodybuilder.' I wanted to be a big, strong man that nobody was going to f— around with. No one was going to touch… unless I was OK with it.”
Shania added, “I was hiding all through my teens. I hated having b**bs, I hated having hips. I think a lot of that was also because a lot of the models when I was a kid were very, very thin. That was a sign of elegance and feminine beauty to me.”
(Also Read: How Supermodel Paulina Porizkov's Health Struggles Made Her "Aware Of Every Extra Pound")
The singer became more confident after she got behind the camera and started exploring fashion. “I was like, “Wow, I'm actually a woman after all, and I think I might like it.” When I wrote Man, I Feel Like a Woman!, it was an absolute celebration. And I felt empowered behind the camera. I was like, ‘They can't grab me. I'm safe,'” she said.
Shania said that comparing yourself to others can be “dangerous”. She confessed to not having “the perfect body” like a supermodel with “no cellulite, perfect proportions and a beautiful stride”. She said, “This is just not me. You can wish a lot of time away ignoring what you actually look like. Just get real with yourself.”
Shania Twain's story should be a reminder that self-love is the cornerstone of body acceptance.
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