The hottest Body Image Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Food & Drink Topics

Whose Bodies Get Studied

Culture Study • 4372 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research Women's Health Body Image
  1. The majority of research studies focus on cis-gender men, leading to biased advice, knowledge, and healthcare.
  2. Women's bodies have historically been considered anomalies in sports and medical research, impacting areas like sports gear design and participation rules.
  3. Excluding women from research studies leads to gaps in knowledge, affecting areas like injury prevention, gear design, and understanding menstrual health.

A clarification but, crucially, not a correction

Close-reading the reruns with Phoebe Maltz Bovy • 334 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Gender Critique Body Image Social norms
  1. The author clarified a theory about online pseudonyms critiquing appearances of celebrities, emphasizing it was just a neutral guess.
  2. The author received feedback from a woman contradicting assumptions about their identity and intentions behind their critique of Taylor Swift's appearance.
  3. The discussion expanded to critique societal norms around women's body image and the impact of judgments on appearance.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Michelle Obama Is Not Coming To Save Us

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 2810 implied HN points • 23 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Culture Body Image Fitness
  1. Michelle Obama has launched a brand called Plezi Nutrition focused on selling healthier products for kids
  2. Critics have raised concerns about the messaging and effectiveness of Plezi in addressing children's health
  3. Plezi has sparked debate on diet culture, marketing tactics, and societal responsibility in promoting healthy eating

Two Years of Writing Emails

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 2535 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Writing Community Personal Growth Body Image Feminism
  1. Virginia Sole-Smith started Burnt Toast newsletter two years ago after leaving freelance writing for corporate media.
  2. Paid subscriptions from the community made it possible to sustain Burnt Toast, support marginalized voices, and fund various projects.
  3. The newsletter created a safe space for discussing body liberation, anti-fat bias, and building a supportive community.

I feel bad about my chin

The Shift With Sam Baker • 579 implied HN points • 27 Jul 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Body Image Self-Acceptance Beauty Standards
  1. The author expresses feeling bad about a specific physical feature, the chin, in the context of societal pressures and norms related to body image and self-love.
  2. There is a reference to the body positive movement that encourages self-acceptance and love for all body types, contrasting personal struggles with societal expectations.
  3. The post also touches on discussions around menopause and the losses associated with it, reflecting on personal experiences and reactions shared online.

Feel like your wardrobe hates you?

The Shift With Sam Baker • 379 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Menopause Fashion Body Image Health Women
  1. Menopause and perimenopause are being openly discussed now more than before, helping women seek information and support for symptoms and hormonal changes.
  2. Despite the challenges of menopause, with physical changes like weight and metabolism shifts, and mental changes like anxiety, it is essential to remember that you are not alone.
  3. As women navigate dressing during menopause, where bodies change unpredictably, it's important to seek ways to adapt and feel comfortable in their skin.

To breast or not to breast

The Global Jigsaw • 137 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Surgery Body Image Women's Health Emotional Well-being
  1. There is societal pressure and fetishization surrounding female breasts, impacting personal decisions and experiences.
  2. Breast reconstruction procedures post-mastectomy can have high rates of complications, but are aggressively promoted by doctors and society.
  3. Patients should be informed and have autonomy in decisions regarding reconstructive surgery, being respected even if they opt out.

Friday Q&A: How to talk to teens about weight, eating, and bodies

Are You Okay? • 219 implied HN points • 20 Jan 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Image
  1. The post discusses how to talk to teens about weight, eating, and bodies, providing valuable insights for parents and caregivers.
  2. The author encourages engagement through questions and offers a 7-day free trial to access the full content and archives.
  3. Professional advice on sensitive topics like body image and health can be helpful for creating open and supportive dialogues with teenagers.

Profit-Maximizing Barbie

Good Reason • 56 implied HN points • 19 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Movies Critique Corporate Influence Body Image
  1. The movie 'Barbie' critiqued the doll's unrealistic standards while making billions in profit.
  2. Corporate entities like Vought in 'The Boys' and Mattel with Barbie can profit off criticism and controversial themes.
  3. Mattel faced criticism for Barbie's body image standards, attempted changes, but struggled due to societal norms and children's preferences.

The Ugly Side Effects of Being Extremely Attractive

Torture Chamber Small Talk • 79 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Weight Loss Body Image Medication Beauty Standards Physical health
  1. Weight loss drugs like Ozempic can have serious side effects but are increasingly popular for cosmetic weight loss.
  2. Beauty standards and societal pressures play a significant role in the obsession with appearance and weight loss.
  3. Health should be the priority over beauty, and extreme measures like weight loss drugs should only be considered for health reasons, not just aesthetic purposes.

Maintain Boundaries Re: Food and Family

Are You Okay? • 39 implied HN points • 13 Dec 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Body Image Emotional Well-being
  1. Maintain healthy boundaries when discussing food, weight, and bodies with loved ones to foster positive relationships and support.
  2. Recognize the impact of societal influences like diet culture on our relationship with food and body image and work towards correcting harmful beliefs and language.
  3. Prioritize your well-being by setting boundaries with family, focusing on your needs, and allowing yourself to enjoy food without guilt during the holiday season.

I’ve been on a diet (almost) my whole life

The Shift With Sam Baker • 19 implied HN points • 08 Sep 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Image Weight Loss Self-Acceptance
  1. The author has spent a large part of their life on a diet, feeling pressure to lose weight, dating back to childhood and teenage years.
  2. The societal influence on body image and diet culture started early for the author, impacting their perception of self-image and leading to disordered eating habits.
  3. Working in the fashion industry intensified the author's struggles with body image, but the root of their dieting habits trace back to societal norms and personal experiences from childhood.

It’s that Bikini Body BS time of year again

The Shift With Sam Baker • 0 implied HN points • 23 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Image
  1. The post addresses the harmful Bikini Body culture and the pressure to look a certain way, emphasizing the wasted time and energy in this pursuit.
  2. It highlights the impact of societal expectations on body image at different ages, indicating that the pressure and self-criticism continue over the years.
  3. The post reflects on the absurdity of investing so much mental and emotional energy into worrying about one's physical appearance, as humorously described in a quote from Emma Thompson.

Be Kind to Yourself

Are You Okay? • 0 implied HN points • 12 Jun 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Anxiety Body Image Parenting Self-care
  1. Eating healthfully has become more difficult during the pandemic due to changes in routines, structures, and access to resources like gyms.
  2. Anxiety often influences people's relationship with food, leading to behaviors like restrictions, chaotic eating, and using food for self-soothing during stressful times.
  3. Practicing intuitive eating and mindfulness can promote a healthier relationship with food by prioritizing balance, consistency, and being kind to oneself.

Adolescence Is No Picnic

Are You Okay? • 0 implied HN points • 27 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Body Image Self-discovery Identity Mental health
  1. Amy Chua's success was influenced by her parents' strict 'tough love' parenting style, teaching her resilience and ethnic pride.
  2. Adolescence can be challenging, especially today with the pressure to belong and social media influence.
  3. Struggling with body image and identity during adolescence is common, but changing your body may not resolve underlying self-doubt.