Panellists of the British show, Loose Women, have decided to shed their clothes to spread the message of body positivity. The picture, taken by singer Bryan Adams, features Andrea McLean, Nadia Sawalha, Linda Robson, Jane Moore, Katie Price, Coleen Nolan, Stacey Soloman and Janet Street-Porter in their swimwear.
The Loose Women even decided to ditch filters and airbrushing for this 100% real picture to show what it is to be confident about your body. The campaign, which promotes women to be comfortable in their skin, was kick-started for Body Stories week on the lunchtime TV show.
Ever since they are born, women are taught to be a certain way, to look a certain way. They are pushed towards wearing makeup and “looking their best”. Not that there is anything wrong with making oneself look pretty but doing it at the expense of hiding your true self should not be promoted.
Coleen Nolan recounted her struggles with being insecure about her body. She said, “I have a constant body battle. I often eat in ‘rebellion’. It goes back to when I was only a child and an uncle picked on me saying I was the ‘heavy one’.”
Loose Women Body Stories – NolanColeen #MyBodyMyStory pic.twitter.com/qpmmxcMyR0
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 30, 2017
She added, “I know I’m not at the low weight I’ve got down to several times in the past but ultimately I’ve decided life’s too short to spend it on a yo-yo diet, I’ve made peace with the way my body looks and, quite frankly, I like cake just a little bit too much!”
Loose Women Body Stories @nadiasawalha
All will be revealed on the show next Tuesday 2 May… #MyBodyMyStory pic.twitter.com/T6JyomXe2L— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 29, 2017
It is not just about the pressure that society puts on women to look pretty (but, not too pretty ’cause then you’re a “slut”). Religion also plays a major role in some cases on how women are subjected to certain constraints.
The Apprentice star Saira Khan has been forced to cover her body for Islam. She says that she has never even done a bikini shoot. “I battled against my curves when I was younger as I didn’t want boys to notice me for being sexy – I was brought up to never bare my skin in front of men – it took me a long time not to feel guilty for wearing a dress or baring my arms,” she said.
‘I was brought up to never bare my skin in front of men’ @IamSairaKhan Loose Women Body Stories #MyBodyMyStory https://t.co/S3UBejL3Pc pic.twitter.com/DmGhe4eo3r
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) April 30, 2017
Talking about her first ever time getting photographed in a bikini and showing her true self, Khan stated, “I want to say ‘this is NORMAL’ particularly to women of colour. Forget the airbrushed images you see. This is what I REALLY look like. I’m sticking two fingers up.”
The campaign aims to motivate women of all race, age to break the barriers which stop them from embracing themselves as they are.
