I have never really commented on news articles and such on the blog before, but when I came across a few articles about the new trend of a 'Bikini Bridge', I felt inclined to comment!
Now supposedly, the Bikini Bridge is the new Thigh Gap - something to aspire to. The Bridge is a where your hip bones cause your bikini bottoms to suspend over your stomach. The image below comes from Blogilates. I am absolutely disgusted by this! And the reasons why are below...
Now supposedly, the Bikini Bridge is the new Thigh Gap - something to aspire to. The Bridge is a where your hip bones cause your bikini bottoms to suspend over your stomach. The image below comes from Blogilates. I am absolutely disgusted by this! And the reasons why are below...
As I mentioned above, the Bikini Bridge is a follow up to the Thigh-Gap phenomenon (which by the way is more down to bone structure than weight loss) and I believe is being used wrongly as 'thinspiration' and unfortunately anorexia/bulimia propaganda. All you need to do is search the #BikiniBridge tag into Tumblr and the tags #Pro-Ana and #Pro-Mia (anorexia and bulimia) will be shown alongside the majority of images that are found.
This infuriates me beyond belief, just as the Thigh Gap did. Again the Bikini Bridge focus is on bones sticking out in order for your bikini bottoms to be suspended between. BONES! You cannot change your bone structure no matter how many hours you spend in the gym or how many calories you choose not to eat! To encourage this kind of body image when realistically, many women will not have such a bone structure is unbelievably stupid. I'm sorry but this kind of campaign is just WRONG!
What infuriates me even more is that, according to Blogilates, the #BikiniBridge was launched as a hoax and predictably, many people have jumped on the band wagon and it has raised the profile of this image. Again this is wholly, completely and totally wrong. When you suffer with an eating disorder you don't think of things like that. If the image is in your head it is there for good and the goal will be a Bikini Bridge. Your mind just doesn't realise when things are bad for you or unhealthy. It certainly did not for me.
I did some research on Tumblr by searching the tag and in all honesty I was shocked, saddened and worried by the search results. Here is some of what I found;
This is just beyond belief if I'm really honest. I'm shocked and saddened that we live in a world where the unhealthy is promoted over the healthy. It is absurd to be that anyone should aspire to create a bikini bridge when it is clear that it involves extreme, unhealthy weight loss. And as I mentioned above it is near-on impossible unless your bone structure says otherwise!!
The last image there is the one that upsets me the most. Ladies remember, the only person who can criticise you is YOU! If your boyfriend judges you for not having a bridge then you are the one who needs to leave him. Not the other way around.
So please please please be healthy. I am all about encouraging health and yes I believe in working for that bikini body. But I do not and I will never believe in working towards an unhealthy, unattainable, unrealistic goal.
Aim for curves, aim for beauty, aim to feel confident, sexy and beautiful in that bikini ladies!
Besides....who needs a bridge at the beach?
All my love,
Georgie x
I respectfully disagree. A bikini bridge has intrinsic value given the fact that being skinny decreases the risk of cardiac diseases. Every woman should try to achieve a bikini bridge!!
ReplyDeleteBesides that, it's hot!
Thanks for your comment! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect yours just as you respect mine :)
DeleteGreat post, thank you for bringing up this important topic. I was just as infuriated when I saw the pictures on Blogilates post about this terrible trend!
ReplyDeleteI have to respond to that first comment. There is a vast, vast plane between "overweight and unhealthy" and "bikini bridge." And the majority of women whose bodies are on that plane are healthy. Take me, for instance. I am 5' 7" and weigh 138 pounds. That puts my BMI in a very healthy spot. I also run marathons. (Reasonably fast ones; I recently ran a 3:13). My resting heart rate is in the 40s. Clearly my cardiac health is not remotely affected by the fact that I don't have a bikini bridge.
ReplyDeleteI eat very clean, but In order to achieve this arbitrary standard of beauty, I would have to drastically drop my caloric intake, far beyond the healthy range. Know what happens when women too drastically cut calories? Among other effects, they lose their periods, putting them at risk for bone fractures and permanent fertility issues. All because someone decided that this ridiculous bridge is "hot."
Ladies, it's not hard to see why dudes (I use "dudes" because "men" seems to generous) encourage the bikini bridge: it brings their eyes that much closer to your vagina. And really, is that where you want someone's judgement of you to begin? I certainly hope not.
Thank you so much for this comment! It really made my morning to read it - and your English mistakes are forgiven ;) x
Delete*too generous. Used the wrong "to" and as an English teacher, I can't let that go. :)
ReplyDeleteI must be a bit behind because I haven't heard about the "bikini bridge" but I have noticed a growing trend on trying to be stick thin. I am sometimes guilty of the trend getting to my head, thinking I need to do more and eat less but I am a normal person whom loves food. To think that Blogilates is where this post was yet she says in the same breathe to love yourself and be healthy etc. Kind of contradicting, if you ask me. I'm glad that you did take a stand because being this skinny can look very unhealthy and we all deserve to be healthy. :)
ReplyDelete