We've Been Trained to Never be Satisfied with Our Bodies

Companies and brands literally profit off of your insecurities and, in doing so, keep you physically small and mentally struggling

I’ve been mulling on the thought: capitalism + patriarchy = the reason we hate our bodies. I decided I was going to write about it for my next post. After I started thinking about what I wanted to share, I came across a post on Instagram that said:

“My friend said that whenever she has a bad feeling about her body/appearance, she asks herself, ‘Who profits off of this emotion?’ And I really love how simple and incisive that is.” - therapist Jennifer Rollin and she reposted from heavyweightheart

Since going down my capitalism/patriarchy/diet/hustle culture rabbit hole this week, I can’t stop thinking about the rise of the beauty industry. In a world where people are always trying to profit off of the next best thing, of course it makes sense that some chose to monetize off the insecurities of women. “I hate my belly. So I’ll do everything in my power to fix it.” Things that could include, buying special diet foods, going on diet pills/meds, buying that fancy gym membership (all things I once did to try to make my belly smaller)… or maybe even get a surgery.

What if the solutions don’t lie in the fix? What if the solutions lie in doing the deep healing work within ourselves, the recognition of the why behind our feeling these ways about our bodies, the recognition that we wouldn’t think such negative things about our bodies if there wasn’t someone profiting off of those thoughts.

Below, I share a few resources I came across this past week that helped me work through this topic myself. The photos attached are all credited to the articles/podcast episodes themselves, so please enjoy and go support if you’re so inclined to do so!

---

#1) The Body Image Revolution Podcast Episode:

“Hustle Culture & Diet Culture Taught Us to Never Trust Ourselves”

I threw on this podcast episode on a mid-afternoon walk with my dog this week. It was so healing to listen through. In the show, one of the women said: “So many companies and services profit off of women doubting themselves.” This thought couldn’t have been more aligned with this week’s theme.

---

#2) The Cosmetic Industry has Benefited From Women’s Insecurities for Too Long

I came across this article by Yael Wellisch ‘26 when doing a Google search for images of beauty propaganda that so beautifully encapsulates why so many women have such a hard time even getting to the place of radical acceptance of their bodies. What’s even more wild is how many of these beauty companies that have profited off of women’s insecurities for years and years were started by men.

---

#3) Insecurity Should Not be a Universal Currency

These two quotes stuck out to me in this article about how the beauty industry profits off of unachievable standards of beauty:

“All of this indicates that beauty standards may not be created to be attained, but rather to be chased after. In a capitalist society, to be insecure is to be in a constant state of being that is receptive to making a purchase. Insecurities serve as a currency in a universal market that is equipped with endless products and regimens promising to be the answer. The industry supplies insecurities and then builds demand for products that will improve or enhance one’s appearance. Meaning, if you have wrinkles and look your age, you are targeted to buy anti-aging creams and serums. If you are not skinny, then you are encouraged by celebrities and influencers to buy weight loss supplements, weight loss tea and other creations for supposed rapid weight loss. However, what isn’t disclosed is that these industries do not care about helping you rid yourself of your insecurities. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. As long as people stay insecure, there is money to be made.“

“Despite the negative consequences that beauty standards have, it is in the beauty industry’s best interest to uphold and constantly change beauty standards to keep all of us in an endless cycle of insecurities, ensuring maximum profits are made from our desire to be attractive.“ - by Dina Hamid

---

Where is the line between makeup, hair, and fashion being a source of creativity, self-expression and self-care… and makeup, hair, and fashion being a source of covering up insecurity, self-fixing, and for the male gaze? This is my question. And, like always, I do not have the answers. But I do know that there’s so much pressure our culture (via the media, advertisements, influencers, and the beauty industry at large) places on (mostly) women. We have to recognize people are profiting off of our insecurity, because once we see this, we won’t be able to unsee it.

This is not a call to stop purchasing beauty products or exploring what makeup, hair, and fashion means to you. This is a reminder to continue to put in the work to retrain our brains by making a conscious effort to be discerning when it comes to our acts of beauty.

I’m curious to continue exploring this line for myself. If you have thoughts - I’d love to hear them and chat.

xx Megan

“There are a lot of people who benefit financially from making sure that women are always chasing unreachable beauty ideals.”

- The Ugly Truth About The Beauty Industry by ‘Breaking Down Patriarchy’ on YouTube

---

---

While I’m not a licensed therapist, registered dietician, or medical health professional and cannot speak to body image topics from a clinical, trauma-informed place, I am an expert of lived experience. I’m an academic of my own body, and I’m passionate about facilitating conversations with other humans about their relationships with their bodies. I believe it’s important to continue conversations about healthy body image in creative spaces as a means to heal individuals as well as the collective whole. But just know the information presented in this medium is not professional mental health advice or medical advice, and any questions or concerns you have should always be directed to your health providers.