After thinspiration, it’s fitspiration!

The body frame has a new lingo! With thinspiration getting the thumbs-down from online platforms, healthspiration or fitspiration seems to be the new social fad
Thin, plump, lean and obese seem to be terms of the past, say hello to trends that folks follow — namely, Thinspiration or Thinspo, Curvespiration or Curvespo and Fitspiration or Fitspo. Coming from the term inspiration, the scale ranges from looking emaciated and severely underweight to embracing a full figure.And each extreme comes with its own health risks…
Thinspo gets the online ban
There are extreme ways to lose weight and looking up to anorexic people has been a dangerous trend. Several Hollywood stars like the Olsen twins and actress Calista Flockhart had fallen prey to the eating disorder, and last weekend, singer Nicole Scherzinger set fans talking, spotted with a protruding ribcage and a super-thin waist. Recently, major online platforms enacted new terms which prohibit or otherwise severely limit “thinspiration” and other pro-eating disorder imagery. Unfortunately, there reportedly close to 300,000 destructive sites which urge people toward an unhealthy weight. Model Alesia Raut who herself lost a lot of weight a few years ago, shares her experience. “I was not at all anorexic, but I became skinny due to a hormone imbalance and then got cured. Personally, I didn’t like that my weight had gone down drastically and wanted to change things and I did. I want to get curvier and I am also working out; it’s nice to have a sporty physique,” she says.
The ‘curvespo’ movement
More like the counterpart of thinspo (going skinny), this movement gets women to embrace their curves and body weight. The group includes those with a plus size like singer Adele, who is very curvy and might just fit into this category. But this kind of ‘fat acceptance’ with curvespo people is also regarded as dangerous. Says nutritionist Niti Desai, “While it’s nice to have curves, also watch your weight. Being overweight marks the beginning of lifestyle disorders — high sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, etc. Slightly overweight is okay, but don’t be complacent if you are obese, you need to drop the weight and talk to an expert about doing so.”
Try ‘fitspo’ instead
This trend has certainly caught everyone’s attention of late! Fitspiration or Fitspo, where people post pictures of flat abs, toned tummies, slim figures and more act as a motivator. But there is a downside to the visual impact too. Cautions fitness expert Namita Jain, “Sometimes, these pictures can be touched up. Looking at washboard abs are okay as long as this acts as a reminder to get fit and motivates you. It’s good to get inspired but don’t go to extreme measures as as it take a toll on your health, everyone has a different genetic frame.”
Thigh gap, another obsession
Having a flat stomach, thin arms and a lower body mass index, are not the only things. Women are also obsessing over attaining a ‘thigh gap’ seen on models on the runways abroad.
Did you know?
With negative body image now linked to with extreme weight loss measures, depression and other disorders, there has been a call for body image lessons to be taught in UK schools.