We all know by now that social media and the modeling industry in general tend to give an unrealistic idea of what humans are supposed to look like.
It's not a big secret, and it goes back to the days when glossy magazines were all we had. Don't kid yourself, they could be life-ruiners. And as Raul Samuel, a 25-year-old plus-size model is reminding us, it's not just women who are affected.
Where women are constantly bombarded with images of willowy, waifish models, for men, the models all sport toned six-packs and ripped biceps.
Raul doesn't fit that mold at all, and he felt the frustration before he started modeling: "Now more than ever, with the rise of social media, the pressure is greater — most people want to look like the ‘Instagram models’ and the pressures are as real for men as [they are] for women," he told Unilad.
He says that he even sees kids today being bullied over not looking like fashion models. He wants them to know that every body type is different, and that even without a six pack, he's found comfort and success.
"Don't let your mind bully your body," he wrote in an Instagram post. "To be comfortable in your own skin is everything. You have a lot to smile about."
Of course, there's a balancing act when it comes to being happy with your body and being healthy, which is never easy.
"Eating healthy and staying active helps with confidence and your long term well-being, however that’s different than trying to reach an unreasonable goal of becoming like the boys in the magazines," he says.
His advice for bigger guys is to try different things and find something that works.
"There is no 'norm' and that's what's amazing," he says. "Work with ‘you’ — what suits you and makes you feel comfortable." Hey, he knows what he's talking about!
0 comments: