The "ideal" or preferred body type is something that has plagued society for as long as we can remember — although who knows who even makes those decisions. By now, it's evident that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and have nothing to do with how great of a person you are, and yet we still feel the need to value certain body types above others.
To (literally) illustrate this, an Instagram post by fitspo account @fabumyfitness polled people to rank the physique they preferred out of five options: option A being a slim woman, and each one growing curvier until option E.
As you can imagine, things got shallow — quickly.
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People overwhelmingly voted for option B, a slim woman with boobs and a butt that were bigger than option A's. Following behind were C and A.
Now, let's take a step back. Other than being totally sexist by judging a woman's appearance, this poll also shows a major flaw with our society and its perception of beauty.
In 2016, a study found that the average American woman wears a size 16-18, which is not really what's illustrated by the chosen type B.
Basically, society thinks the slim but curvy type B is the best body type, yet in reality, that's not what most women's bodies look like. Like where are the women with small breasts and big round butts? Or the women with the round bellies and flat butts? Mother Nature (thankfully) doesn't spit out these same, exact proportions for every woman.
This basic denial of reality surely does a number on one's self-esteem and body image. Women are left feeling inadequate, less than, or not beautiful if they don't fit into those standards, which is bound to be common because these standards aren't based on real women.
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Bringing us back to the original question: "Which physique do you prefer?"
The answer for cultivating the healthiest — mentally and physically — generation of women should be, "whichever one you have right now." We'll be here waiting for that option.
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