Skinny Trend: Suddenly I want to be skinny again

The author reflects on a resurgence of the "skinny" trend and its impact on her own body image, contrasting it with a perceived era of liberation from such ideals. She recalls intense adolescent anxieties about her appearance, particularly focusing on cellulite and perceived differences in her leg size.

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I stand in front of the mirror and desperately try to determine how much cellulite I have. I turn and twist my leg, watch how the light falls when I lift it, and wonder if others are disgusted when they see me in shorts.

Recounting a common scene from her youth, the author describes standing before a mirror, scrutinizing her legs for cellulite and worrying about how others might perceive her in shorts. She admits to asking classmates for their opinions on her perceived flaws, even entertaining thoughts of self-harm to alter her body. The author notes that beyond her legs, her stomach was also a persistent source of self-consciousness.

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I remember asking classmates to see if it was very noticeable that my right leg was thicker than my left. I imagined taking a large knife and cutting something out of the sides of my thighs. How happy I would be then!

This personal narrative serves as a backdrop to a broader commentary on societal pressures related to body image. The author questions whether the emancipation from the "skinny" ideal was genuine or merely superficial, suggesting that underlying insecurities and external pressures may still be prevalent. The piece implies a cyclical nature to body image trends and the anxieties they can provoke.

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But it wasn't just the thick thighs, of course, the stomach was always a problem too. This damned stomach.