Thigh gap

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A woman with a thigh gap Thigh gap.jpg
A woman with a thigh gap

A thigh gap is a space between the inner thighs of some women when standing upright with feet touching. [1]

Contents

In the 21st century, some people in the West have begun to consider the thigh gap a special feature of physical attractiveness and physical fitness in women. [2] [3]

In the United States, it was reported that among teenage girls, a gap had become a beauty ideal. [4] Many women have found it difficult to achieve a thigh gap, leading some to resort to extreme dieting [5] or surgery [6] in order to try to obtain it. [7] Critics of the craze have pointed out that the thigh gap is a physiognomic feature natural only for women with a certain type of body shape and bone structure that most women do not have. Experts say[ which? ] that attempts to attain the unattainable ideal result in problems of self-esteem that can lead to eating disorders. [8]

Origin of the phenomenon

The thigh gap first received widespread news coverage in December 2012 after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show [9] which featured several models with noticeable thigh gaps. Images of thigh gaps featured in "thinspiration" blogs [10] and across social networking sites. [11]

Backlash

In 2013, author Camille Hugh published her book The Thigh Gap Hack, [12] and in June 2013 she was interviewed about the book on The Dr. Oz Show . [13] The book was criticized by Lisa Delaney of Spryliving.com, who said the book "feeds girls' and women's obsessions with their bodies, promotes thinness at the expense of healthfulness (because of Hugh's disdain of fitness, exercise, muscles, etc.), and promotes flaky, unproven methods for weight/fat loss." [12]

A backlash quickly developed among those concerned about the potential negative consequences of the trend. Parenting experts and counselors formed anti-thigh gap movements. [1] The medical community and female-empowerment advocates have also commented critically on the subject, [14] and the U.S. National Eating Disorders Association launched a website to promote healthy body image and attitudes to food and weight. [15]

Australian plus-size model Robyn Lawley criticized the thigh gap trend, denouncing it as "just another tool of manipulation that other people are trying to use to keep me from loving my body". [16] Target Corporation apologized after Cassey Ho discovered [17] that a photo of a model had a photoshopped thigh gap for a girl's bathing suit ad. [18] Old Navy came under criticism by bloggers after a photo of a mannequin wearing women's plus-size jeans on their website appeared to have a small thigh gap placed so that the jeans on the mannequin would look thinner than they would look on an actual person. [19] Old Navy subsequently stated that they do not use any photo-editing techniques to alter the apparent shape of their products, but they do sometimes use pins on clothing to adjust how it fits a mannequin. [19]

Media comment

The thigh gap has also spawned opinions from newspapers. The Times of India called it "mania". [20] Columnist Kelly Richardson of the Sacramento Bee wrote that "for most people it is next to impossible to attain". [21] In The Observer journalist Rosie Swash called the thigh gap "widespread, harmful and often unachievable". [22] Columnist Hadley Freeman called it the "most extreme body fixation yet". [23] Geneticist Sylvia Pagán Westphal was inspired to write an opinion piece on the thigh gap after her daughter brought the trend to her attention and was appalled by the results of her Google search for the term. [24] San Jose State University sociologist Natalie Boero has attributed the trend to living in a "sexist and sizeist culture" [8] and clinical psychologist Barbara Greenberg has dismissed the trend as a "pipe dream", [8] adding "most women are not built that way to have that space between their thighs". [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Types of eating disorders include binge eating disorder, where the patient eats a large amount in a short period of time; anorexia nervosa, where the person has an intense fear of gaining weight and restricts food or overexercises to manage this fear; bulimia nervosa, where individuals eat a large quantity (binging) then try to rid themselves of the food (purging); pica, where the patient eats non-food items; rumination syndrome, where the patient regurgitates undigested or minimally digested food; avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), where people have a reduced or selective food intake due to some psychological reasons; and a group of other specified feeding or eating disorders. Anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse are common among people with eating disorders. These disorders do not include obesity. People often experience comorbidity between an eating disorder and OCD. It is estimated 20–60% of patients with an ED have a history of OCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulimia nervosa</span> Type of eating disorder

Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. This activity aims to expel the body of calories eaten from the binging phase of the process. Binge eating refers to eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time. Purging refers to the attempts to get rid of the food consumed. This may be done by vomiting or taking laxatives.

Orthorexia nervosa is a proposed eating disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with eating healthy food. The term was introduced in 1997 by American physician Steven Bratman, M.D. He suggested that some people's dietary restrictions intended to promote health may paradoxically lead to unhealthy consequences, such as social isolation; anxiety; loss of ability to eat in a natural, intuitive manner; reduced interest in the full range of other healthy human activities; and, in rare cases, severe malnutrition or even death.

Promotion of anorexia is the promotion of behaviors related to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It is often referred to simply as pro-ana or ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchangeably with pro-ana. Pro-ana groups differ widely in their stances. Most claim that they exist mainly as a non-judgmental environment for anorexics; a place to turn to, to discuss their illness, and to support those who choose to enter recovery. Others deny anorexia nervosa is a mental illness and claim instead that it is a lifestyle choice that should be respected by doctors and family.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder characterized by frequent and recurrent binge eating episodes with associated negative psychological and social problems, but without the compensatory behaviors common to bulimia nervosa, OSFED, or the binge-purge subtype of anorexia nervosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Body image</span> Aesthetic perception of ones own body

Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. The concept of body image is used in several disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, philosophy, cultural and feminist studies; the media also often uses the term. Across these disciplines, there is no single consensus definition, but broadly speaking, body image consists of the ways people view themselves; their memories, experiences, assumptions, and comparisons about their appearances; and their overall attitudes towards their respective heights, shapes, and weights—all of which are shaped by prevalent social and cultural ideals.

Disordered eating describes a variety of abnormal eating behaviors that, by themselves, do not warrant diagnosis of an eating disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat feminism</span> Social movement

Fat feminism, often associated with "body-positivity", is a social movement that incorporates feminist themes of equality, social justice, and cultural analysis based on the weight of a woman. This branch of feminism intersects misogyny and sexism with anti-fat bias. Fat feminists advocate body-positive acceptance for all bodies, regardless of their weight, as well as eliminating biases experienced directly or indirectly by fat people. Fat feminists originated during third-wave feminism and is aligned with the fat acceptance movement. A significant portion of body positivity in the third-wave focused on embracing and reclaiming femininity, such as wearing makeup and high heels, even though the second-wave fought against these things. Contemporary western fat feminism works to dismantle oppressive power structures which disproportionately affect working class poor people or poor people generally. It covers a wide range of topics such as diet culture, fat-phobia, representation in media, ableism, and employment discrimination.

Wannarexia, or anorexic yearning, is a label applied to someone who claims to have anorexia nervosa, or wishes they did, but does not. These individuals are also called wannarexic, “wanna-be ana” or "anorexic wannabe". The neologism wannarexia is a portmanteau of the latter two terms. It may be used as a pejorative term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sociology of food</span>

The sociology of food is the study of food as it relates to the history, progression, and future development of society, encompassing its production, preparation, consumption, and distribution, its medical, ritual, spiritual, ethical and cultural applications, and related environmental and labor issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anorexia nervosa</span> Type of eating disorder

Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robyn Lawley</span> Australian model

Robyn Lawley is an Australian model.

Body shape refers to the many physical attributes of the human body that make up its appearance, including size and countenance. Body shape has come to imply not only sexual/reproductive ability, but wellness and fitness. In the West, slenderness is associated with happiness, success, youth, and social acceptability. Being overweight is associated with laziness. The media promote a weight-conscious standard for women more often than for men. Deviance from these norms result in social consequences. The media perpetuate this ideal in various ways, particularly glorifying and focusing on thin actors and actresses, models, and other public figures while avoiding the use or image of overweight individuals. This thin ideal represents less than 15% of the American population.

The feminine beauty ideal is a specific set of beauty standards regarding traits that are ingrained in women throughout their lives and from a young age to increase their perceived physical attractiveness. It is a phenomenon experienced by many women in the world, though the traits change over time and vary in country and culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassey Ho</span> American social media fitness entrepreneur

Cassey HoVinh is an American social media fitness entrepreneur with a YouTube channel and a website that sells fitness apparel. In 2013, she received a Shorty Award in the category of social fitness. In 2014, after seeing a photoshopped photo of a model on Target’s website where the model had an unnatural-looking thigh gap, Ho wrote on her blog calling attention to the health implications of this type of photo editing. Target subsequently apologized for altering the photo. In April 2015, Ho responded to negative comments about her body by creating a YouTube video called The "Perfect" Body. In 2017, Ho was listed in Time's third annual list of "The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazz Jennings</span> American internet personality

Jazz Jennings is an American YouTube personality, spokesmodel, television personality, and LGBT rights activist. Jennings is one of the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as transgender. Jennings received national attention in 2007 when an interview with Barbara Walters aired on 20/20, which led to other high-profile interviews and appearances. Christine Connelly, a member of the board of directors for the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth, stated, "She was the first young person who picked up the national spotlight, went on TV and was able to articulate her perspective and point of view with such innocence." Her parents noted that Jennings was clear on being female as soon as she could speak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikini bridge</span> Beauty fad

A bikini bridge is defined as "when bikini bottoms are suspended between the two hip bones, causing a space between the bikini and the lower abdomen". It originated in the United States on January 5, 2014, created by users of /b/ section on the imageboard 4chan as a parody of popular thinspiration memes. According to a posting on the website, users intended to spread content across social media regarding bikini bridges. It was reported on by U.S. television program Today on January 7. Several commentators critiqued the posts for displaying insensitivity or being "dangerous" for women with an eating disorder.

The Famine Within is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Katherine Gilday and released in 1990. The film explores the issue of women's body image, and the prevalence of eating disorders. The film was narrated by Rebecca Jenkins.The Famine Within is an exploration of the contemporary obsession with body size and shape among North American women. Through the use of conventional documentary interviews and narration in conjunction with striking evocative imagery, the film presents women sharing their own experiences suffering with an eating disorder. The direct testimony of many women who have suffered from the body obsession – dancers, mothers, career women, athletes, bulimics, fat women, anorexics, young girls - with the views of leading experts, this work explores the kind of hunger that cannot be satisfied by food. The film is less about illness associated with food, but more raises questions about why so many women are worried about gaining weight or “being fat” The film premiered at the 1990 Festival of Festivals. It was subsequently broadcast by TVOntario.

Body image disturbance (BID) is a common symptom in patients with eating disorders and is characterized by an altered perception of one's own body.

<i>Letting Ana Go</i> 2013 young adult novel

Letting Ana Go is a 2013 book about a girl suffering from anorexia nervosa, published anonymously with no discernible author. The main character, "Ana", is a sophomore student and athletic track star who keeps a strict food diary and finds herself growing increasingly distant from her own family, while her own mother struggles with newfound morbid obesity and separation from her husband. The book calls into question the mental healthcare system in The United States and the financial cost of such care as a barrier to sufferers of issues like eating disorders. Letting Ana Go was published under various imprints of Simon & Schuster in 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 "Why thigh gap is so important to women". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "'Thigh gap' measuring trend among young women on social media may be encouraging eating disorders: U.S. experts". National Post. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  3. ↑ Leboeuf, Céline (30 March 2019). "Anatomy of the Thigh Gap". Feminist Philosophy Quarterly. 5 (1). doi: 10.5206/fpq/2019.1.7312 . ISSN   2371-2570.
  4. ↑ "The Weight of the Heart". The Shriver Report. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Meisjes hongeren zichzelf uit voor een 'thigh gap'". AD.nl. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Explosieve groei cosmetische ingrepen voor Thigh Gap - Ze.nl - Hét online magazine voor vrouwen!". Ze.nl. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Why Girls Shouldn't Let The Thigh Gap Trend Leave Gaps In Their Self Esteem". Wibw.com. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "Concern over teen 'thigh gap' weight loss obsession". Thejournal.ie. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Barbara Greenberg (11 February 2013). "The Thigh Gap - A Disturbing New Trend Among Teen Girls". HuffPost. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  10. ↑ Yandoli, Krystie (2 April 2013). "'Thigh Gap': Students, Experts Talk Body Image And 'Thinspo' Obsession On HuffPost Live (VIDEO)". HuffPost. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Dangerous obsession over the 'thigh gap' - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana". KPLC. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  12. 1 2 Delaney, Lisa (21 August 2013). "Diet Plan Review: Thigh Gap Hack". Spry Living. Retrieved 30 November 2014. Review of The Thigh Gap Hack, by Camille Hugh.
  13. ↑ "America's Dangerous New Diet Trend: Achieving the Thigh Gap". Mehmet Oz. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "'Thigh gap' trend for some young women worries culture watchers". TribLIVE. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Siassina, Maria (9 October 2013). "'Thigh gap' trend may be encouraging eating disorders: experts". Canada.com. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  16. ↑ Lawley, Robyn (28 October 2013). "Robin Lawley: 'Why the dangerous thigh gap trend makes me mad'". The Daily Beast . Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Humphrey, Michael (17 April 2014). "A Chat With Cassey Ho: On Target, Thigh Gaps And Health-Body Balance". Forbes . Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  18. ↑ "Target Apologizes for 'Thigh Gap' Photoshop Fail". ABC News . 12 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  19. 1 2 Solé, Elise (20 March 2014). "You Too, Old Navy? Thigh Gap Strikes Again". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Now girls aim for gap between inner thighs!". The Times of India . 28 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Teen Talk: Obsession over 'thigh gaps' leads to unhealthy practices". Sacramento Bee . Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  22. ↑ Swash, Rosie (13 November 2013). "How the 'thigh gap' became the latest pressure point on a woman's self-image". The Observer . Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  23. ↑ Freeman, Hadley (4 November 2013). "Ask Hadley: The thigh-gap obsession is not new but it's the most extreme body fixation yet". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  24. ↑ Westphal, Sylvia Pagan (4 October 2013). "'Thigh Gap': Reflections On Teenage Girls' Latest Obsession | CommonHealth". Commonhealth.wbur.org. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  25. ↑ Campbell, Charlie (1 October 2013). "'Thigh Gap' Latest Goal for Teen Fashion Victims". Time. Retrieved 6 April 2022.

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