Wedding Horror: Bride’s Joy Marred by Cruel Body Shaming in East

In a shocking display of societal cruelty, the recent wedding ceremony I attended turned into a harrowing showcase of body shaming. As I gazed upon the radiant brides, I couldn’t ignore the palpable anguish etched on the face of the younger sister bride. Little did I know, her distress stemmed from the vile comments hurled at her about her appearance on what should have been her most joyous day.

The insidious tendrils of body shaming have infiltrated the very essence of Eastern culture, poisoning the celebration of love and union. My heart ached as the younger sister confided in me, recounting the barrage of insults directed at her weight, her makeup, and her supposed lack of beauty compared to her elder sister. It was a stark reminder of the toxic environment in countries like Pakistan, where women are ruthlessly judged against unattainable standards of perfection.

But the cruelty doesn’t stop there. From the moment a girl is born in Eastern societies, she is subjected to relentless scrutiny and criticism about her appearance. Innocent inquiries about her eating habits are laden with judgment, insinuating that she should eat less to conform to society’s narrow definition of beauty. This pervasive pressure to fit into a predetermined mold leaves no room for individuality or self-acceptance.

And it’s not just women who bear the brunt of this relentless body shaming. Within the confines of marriage, husbands feel entitled to belittle their wives, mocking their bodies and skin color to uphold their own warped ideals of beauty. Post-marriage, women are expected to maintain their appearance at all costs, sacrificing their well-being and health in the process.

But this epidemic of body shaming extends far beyond the borders of Eastern cultures. In South Korea, young students face rampant bullying and body shaming in schools, fueling an obsession with cosmetic surgery to achieve unattainable beauty standards. Meanwhile, in the United States, the rise of social media has only exacerbated body image insecurities, leading to a surge in mental health disorders among young women.

It’s time to shatter the silence surrounding body shaming and dismantle the toxic culture that sustains it. We must arm ourselves with education and awareness to challenge societal norms and empower women to embrace their bodies unapologetically. Only then can we pave the way for a future where every woman feels valued and accepted, regardless of her size, shape, or skin color? Let us keep hope for a day when all of this will be changed.  

By Aniqa Yousaf