New Delhi: Actor Zareen Khan, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in Veer (2010) sharing her experience to a leading media outlet said she had no separate identity other than actress Katrina Kaif's look alike. Zareen was also brutally fat-shamed and mocked as 'Fat'-rina'. 


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In another interview with a news agency, IANS Zareen revealed, "I am a wide structured person and I cannot cut my bones off.”


Sadly Zareen's experience is not a one-off one and is something that many people are subjected to, especially in the entertainment industry. Actress Priyanka Chopra, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, and Tara Sutaria have openly spoken about experiencing body shaming.


In her recently released memoir, 'Unfinished' actress Priyanka Chopra shared a horrific experience with a director early on in her career. "After a few minutes of small talk, the director/producer told me to stand up and twirl for him. I did. He stared at me long and hard, assessing me, and then suggested that I get a b**b job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt," wrote Priyanka.


Body shaming is defined by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders as "the action or practice of expressing humiliation about another individual's body shape or size; a form of bullying that can result in severe emotional trauma, especially at a young age" has severe negative impacts. They are:


Development of mental ailments. Constant criticism and body shaming can lead to an increase in the levels of the stress hormone 'cortisol' which in turn can make a person more prone to depression and anxiety. Body shaming can also lead to the development of eating disorders like Anorexia (starving oneself to become thin) and Bulimia (binge eating followed by throwing up).  


Low self-esteem level and confidence. Body shaming can make individuals low on self-esteem and confidence. It can also make them suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (when you constantly find problems with your body and looks).


Social exclusion. Constant negativity and bullying related to one's appearance can make individuals withdraw into their shells and socially awkward. This in turn makes them more lonely and prone to self-harm, anxiety, and depression.


Now, that we know how terribly body shaming can affect people (both for being too skinny or fat, tall or short, etc) let us embrace the fact that there are multiple kinds of bodies and the standards that are set by the beauty and entertainment industry are downright bizarre. It is nevertheless, important to promote healthy living but without body shaming people.