Today’s world is obstinately full of pomp and show. A rat race to obtain the ideal body type and become a ‘fitness freak’ is indubitably evident that further reinforces the mushrooming of gym centres; shedload of which can now be seen at every other corner down the road. Amidst this rat race towards obtaining a fit body, the actual meaning of ‘fitness’ has become evanescent and the idea of actually being healthy is lost.  Fitness is now, per se, not driven by the traditional objective of being active or healthy but is very much corrupted by the drive, through unhealthy methods to have zero figures or a chiselled body. This propels as a competition people participate in a battle with the celebrities in the magazine covers; but not as a means to better themselves essentially. While walking down this road is done largely to seek validation of the existence of an ‘ideal body image’ that has been stirred up majorly due to the social media platforms, a blind eye is turned onto the cost that comes along with the constant effort to fit in.

The insane desire to procure their ideal body types has turned people into pedants. Every other person, irrespective of any age group, is doing calorie counts or relying on drugs to lose/gain weight or starving themselves because apparently, a healthy and balanced diet with necessary nutritional value is difficult to adhere to while rooting for a socially validated body. This whole process where people thrive to blend in with the popular notions of fitness and ironically seek to stand out at the same time tends to manifest their insecurities at various points throughout this mind wrecking journey. The sole purpose to become fit defies itself when such fitness drive unfolds disguised mental health issues.

This has highly contributed to rendering a world where stress and anxiety issues are spreading like a termite. People, therefore, often find themselves clutched in the cobwebs of varied eating disorders and depression that has coiled within this conundrum that had false ideas of beauty attached to standardized body images.

In order to reach the zenith of social acceptance, this particular notion is normalized to a level, such that the people who do not follow this arc are looked down upon. Often the pre-existing insecurities about one’s health are further triggered by the bullying or discrimination done to them because of their body types that deflect from the unspoken yet highly evident ‘ideal body types’.

Fitness can essentially never find a room, in the right sense, as long as its actual meaning is tainted with corrupted aims. Acceptance and embracement of one’s self will eventually motivate one to rightfully take care of their bodies. It is only when the constant need to be validated will be dispensable; can a person accept oneself for who he or she truly is. This would help the person walk the road to a healthy mind and a healthy body.

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