Women’s Health USA – September 2019

Dear Body... We polled more than 5,000 WH Instagram followers to get a sense of the love-it-or-deal-with-it landscape. 68% of respondents said they do not consider

I’m constantly

looking back and

thinking I wish

I appreciated

myself more

then.

@rhauss715

Grateful to

be able to

be a work in

progress.

@xocobes

I love myself!

I might not like

myself some-

times, but I

will always love

myself!

@cecile1030

What We Talk About When We Talk About Our Bodies

Three readers on their bond with their physical self

“If I could be

naked all the

time, I would

be. Just

to show that

my body’s

normal.

It’s beautiful.

I love it.”

I GREW UP TALL—and fast—in a college town. And it

was uncomfortable. By the time I was in third grade,

I’d achieved most of my height. I was as tall as most

of the adults in my life by 8, and taller than many by

12. Being a child in an adult’s body is complicated.
    When you are bigger and more developed, you
    stand out in—what feels like to a kid—the worst way.
    I was often asked if I played [insert sport here]. So
    I tried being an athlete—you know, turn this burden
    into a gift. Coaches saw in me the promise of a
    sweeping backstroke, a steep spike, or real reach as
    a point guard. But I never made the team. I was (and
    still am) a terrible athlete. I so wanted to make the
    cut, to give those adults what they asked of me, but I
    disappointed them. This shaped me in a lot of ways.
    I moved to New York City with a few friends after
    college, and my life was transformed. Suddenly,
    t here were so m a ny d i fferent p e ople a rou nd. Bei ng
    taller than average in New York means feeling a little
    more strong and a little less vulnerable. Here, stand-
    ing out in a crowd is a real asset, both physically and
    professionally. The city can be exhausting—walking
    endless blocks, climbing up and down stairs of
    subway stations, carrying everything—and I am not
    fa z e d i n t he le a st. A ppre c iat i ng my b o dy me a n s
    strength training and practicing yoga so my day of
    standing, walking, and schlepping goes that much
    better. This is the kind of athlete I am now. Being
    here takes strategy and endurance, and I love it.
    The city lets me feel comfortable in my body, to be
    who I am...and I’m fine being just a little bit extra.

When Your Location

Changes Everything

A new zip code helped Laura McLaughlin,

deputy managing editor, love her 6'1" height.

Tabria Majors, plus-size model

{BODY POV}

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