[imagesource:instagram]

I must admit, I am slightly offended by Megan Fox saying that she has “never, ever” loved her own body.

It’s like, if you look like that and you still don’t think you’re good enough, then hell, what chances do I have to feel good in my pudgy, pyjama-clad body? It’s pretty messed up that we live in a world where women – even the goddess-tier ideal women who pretty much hold the beauty standards for the rest of us – believe that their bodies aren’t absolutely freaking perfect.

In an interview accompanying her cover shoot for Sports Illustrated 2023 Swimsuit Issue, the model opened up about her struggle with body dysmorphia.

Megan Fox covers the latest issue of Sports Illustrated pic.twitter.com/dNkzZcZ3Zq

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 16, 2023

Fox has long been idolised and objectified for her stunning appearance, but due to body dysmorphia, she has “never, ever” loved her body, She Knows notes:

“I have body dysmorphia — I don’t ever see myself the way other people see me,” Fox told the magazine. “There’s never a point in my life where I loved my body, never, ever.”

I forgive her knowing that she’s been struggling with a mental health issue – according to the Cleveland Clinic, body dysmorphia disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition, which causes people to view their physical appearance in a negative light – whether real or perceived – and affects a person’s ability to function in daily life. Some people develop compulsions to address what they believe are “flaws”, and obsess over parts of their appearance that may not even be noticeable to others.

Megan Fox for Sports Illustrated wearing a custom bandeau halter top by Jeniece Blanchet pic.twitter.com/hLegaFkwum

— ➳❥ (@VANITYxVAULT) May 17, 2023

It’s important to underscore that BDD isn’t the same as low self-esteem. This disorder is serious, and it usually requires therapy or prescription medications to treat. While the underlying cause of this disorder is unclear, it has been linked to childhood trauma, cognitive malfunction, and genetic predisposition to compulsive disorders. Living in our appearance-obsessed society certainly doesn’t help, either.

BDD often hits at a young age, as was the case for Fox:

“When I was little, that was an obsession I had of, like, ‘But I should look this way.’ And why I had an awareness of my body that young, I’m not sure. It definitely wasn’t environmental because I grew up in a very religious environment where bodies weren’t even acknowledged.”

“The journey of loving myself is going to be never-ending, I think,” Fox added.

You can just imagine how years of objectification and body-shaming would have worsened Megan’s existing symptoms.

Megan Fox for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2023 pic.twitter.com/6WiX6KjVAs

— megan fox daily (@mfxdaily) May 15, 2023

Being seen as a Hollywood bombshell and sex symbol most of her acting career, Fox had always wanted “all people, not just women, to have respect for their bodies and for themselves”, notes Rappler. She also wished that people would stop overlooking her inner beauty:

“I hope that people take away — what I always hope they take away — is that I’m a thoughtful, articulate, deep person,” Fox said.

That’s the problem, really. Even when we talk in an environment that is encouraging body positivity more than ever before, the focus is still always on the body.

Perhaps if we just live in a world where it doesn’t matter how thin your lips are, how snatched your waist is, how juicy your ass is, or how gapped your thighs are, we would all be much healthier and happier for it.

[sources:sheknows&rappler]