I do not try to hide the fact that I am not a fan of the Kardashians. I have many reasons, mainly the fact that I believe that they are culture vultures, but I get their place in society and the way that their love of fame has changed the game. In particular as of recent, I’ve noticed a lot more press on Kim Kardashian’s weight loss after having her second child. And while I’m happy for her (or as happy that I can be for a Kardashian), it worries me that because so many young women do look up to her, and see her obsession with weight loss that it is becoming detrimental.
In posts on her app she updates the world more than a couple times daily of how skinny she is, how photoshopped her body looks, and her goal weight. In post in her app she shared, “After I had North, there was a part of me that was nervous about whether I’d be able to get back to anywhere near my pre-pregnancy weight and feel confident again, since I was now 50 pounds heavier. I knew I had to put in a lot of work, but I got there. After 10 months, I felt like I was even better than before.” Not “thinner,” not “more closely aligned with society’s current standards of beauty,” just “better.”
But clearly better to Kim has nothing to do with wellness, being a better person in life–it is strictly physical appearance. And while I have respect for her fitness plan it’s a bit much when you have to show the world that even your neck has lost weight and you can’t fit choker necklaces. Inspiring women to love their bodies is one thing, but only loving yourself when you look a certain way isn’t the kind of message that I want young women to be taking in. It’s confusing for them to see her talking about her diet, personal trainer, and then be snapchatting getting a non-surgical tummy tuck, and it’s not fair for young girls to be shown such vapid mixed messages.
