Barbie’s updated to show girls they don’t have to be white and thin – but what about toys created with boys in mind? Here’s why they need healthier body image, too.

via Not Everyone’s as Ripped as Ken – Why These Toys Need a Body Image Makeover — Everyday Feminism

Feminism is not just about women and their body image, but about men too. It is the strict stereotyping in society that has forced young boys to believe that they are ‘authoritative’, ‘strong’, ‘controller’…..and tall, and ‘handsome’ and ‘not emotional like girls’.

Today, I heard an activist for transgender rights pointing out to this issue in a different manner: “If women dress as men, they are simply labelled, but still accepted. But when men want to dress as women, want to identify as women, they are not accepted.”

Body image affects men too. They are forced to be ‘buff’ and ‘muscular’, and in the process, many young men are consuming insane amounts of ‘protein shakes’ and ‘muscle mass builders’ to unhealthy levels. Yes, wrestlers do manage to look ‘buff’, but they are training all day, all week to look like that. Men who try to imitate that using ‘short-cuts’ only come to their senses when they finally approach us, having damaged their muscles and kidneys as a result of their demand to reach impossible goals.

And it all starts young. While the media is constantly cashing in on promoting stereotypes using ads, movies, etc., the common citizen continues to promote these stereotypes in their language. Girls are ‘weak’, boys are ‘strong’. Girls play with delicate dolls, boy can climb trees…and so on.

And a child loses his/her childhood, trying to fit into these stereotypes.

The video ‘Boys don’t cry‘ shows you the result of this…

– Rachael
(Rachael is a nutritionist who, during her short stint working at a hospital, had already come across at least two young men suffering from the damaging effects of consuming high quantities of protein supplements without the guidance of a qualified dietician/sports nutritionist).

Image credits: http://showbizgeek.com/toy-story-the-faces-behind-the-voices/