Art of loving Thyself

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Hollywood actress, Kate Winslet

You are probably being dishonest if you say that you don’t envy the hourglass figures and perfect skin tones of the latest screen goddesses. The question isn’t who doesn’t want a perfect body with a pretty face, but — is anyone actually happy with what she may have? Even though Hollywood actress Kate Winslet thinks that she has an imperfect body, she isn’t averse to flaunting it, on occasion.

According to her, when she goes nude in films like The Reader, it is an empowering sight for women themselves. Indeed, Winslet has been quoted as saying, “I don’t have zero cellulite — of course I don’t —and I’m curvy. If that is something that makes women feel empowered in any way, that’s great.”
So, why don’t we push ourselves to achieve the sense of comfort that Kate Winslet exudes? Is it not possible in today’s professional day and age? After the birth of her daughter, emcee Geetika Ganju found it difficult to get back on track with her job. “I was carrying a few kilos of extra body weight, and I couldn’t really lose it instantly after my daughter was born. So it certainly did affect my work and definitely put my skills as an anchor on the backburner,” she says. She says that actors like Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Aishwarya Rai should be applauded for being comfortable about their weight gains.
“Hollywood has the highest benchmarks for glamour in the global film industry. Add to that Kate Winslet’s diva status, and you have a stand that is strongly against women who crave for a perfect body, rather than for overall personality,” feels fashion designer Mmonika Arora.
“Girls must understand that their figures could provide them with an essential boost of self-confidence. Accepting your real self can help you attain that. More than being slim or curvy, it’s important to be healthy in your body, mind and soul,” she adds.
Indeed, constantly setting yourself newer yardsticks for physical perfection does more harm than good, feels 23-year-old fashion student Rayshita Sachdev. “I wasn’t comfortable with the way I looked. I took up yoga and exercise to lose a few kilos, but I also practiced meditation to attain an inner peace,” she says. “Most urban women these days, myself included, are obsessed with the idea of the perfect weight, figure and looks. But it’s not a good idea to get carried away in aspiring for a figure, which has not naturally been given to us,” says Preeti Chandra, fashion expert.
Grooming expert and founder of VLCC Vandana Luthra explains, “As Indian women we have been gifted with a voluptuous body type which in recent times is being celebrated because of Bollywood actors like Katrina Kaif and Vidya Balan. Going on diets so as to tone up those arms and thighs is one thing, but indulging in a crash diet with an aim to change your body type is just not advisable,” she says.