Interviewer:
Hi, can you start by introducing yourself and telling me a little bit about yourself?
Unnati:
Hi, I’m Unnati. I’m 17, and I’m a junior at Redmond High School. That’s about it.
Interviewer:
Okay, so I’m just going to ask you a few general questions. Do you think you’ve had any experiences with negative self-body image or bullying related to that? And of course, if you’re not comfortable sharing, just your general views on it.
Unnati:
Yeah, I think, obviously, every single girl in the world has had negative body issues. And like, I think to an extent, everyone’s had eating issues as well. Maybe not to the extent of things like anorexia or being in the hospital, but I think everyone’s obviously struggled with that stuff, so I feel like it’s not a rare thing. And it really sucks how common it is. I think even older people, like adults, parents, and grandparents, even they feel like they’re not enough because of their body.
And even little kids—like, you’d be surprised how young kids, like five-year-olds, think they’re too fat or whatever. With my little sister, I’ve seen her start to struggle, and she’s only in fifth grade. So, I think that’s a really good point you brought up.
Interviewer:
Do you think culture or ethnicity can affect how you were treated as a child based on your weight or body image?
Unnati:
Honestly, I think everywhere, the beauty standard is to be skinnier. It’s always been like that, and I don’t think the specifics matter too much, but for example, I’m Indian, and I ended up with mostly white friends in my freshman year of high school. It wasn’t necessarily about my ethnicity and how I was treated, but I do think there was a lot of pressure within Indian communities to look a certain way, which made me feel less pretty or even “uglier,” which kind of led to eating issues. But I don’t think the way I was raised would’ve been any different from someone who’s white or Asian with eating issues. This isn’t directly about eating disorders, but I think body image and eating issues often go hand in hand.
Interviewer:
I really like the point you made about how even though ethnicity might not have directly affected your experience, the way it was dealt with seemed to differ. Could you explain that a little further?
Unnati:
Yeah, because I feel like racism is so normalized, especially with Indian people. We’re often seen as the “uglier” ethnicity, which made me feel like I was less pretty. I guess it really correlated with me thinking of myself as uglier. But I’m not really passionate about it anymore, and at the end of the day, I always remind myself that I’m blessed to be able to move. I can run, I can walk, I can lift weights, and I can help my mom. I can carry my dog, lift groceries for my dad, who’s in his 50s. I think about how lucky I am because there’s always someone out there who would die to be in my shoes. So, when I start thinking I’m so bad or so unworthy, I remind myself that there’s always someone who has it worse than I do.
Interviewer:
That’s a really good perspective. I think it’s important to keep in mind that, even when things seem bad, there’s always something to be grateful for. But, as you mentioned, comparing yourself to others can sometimes be unhealthy.
Unnati:
Yeah, exactly. It’s good to have that perspective, but it’s also important to avoid using someone else’s situation to cope. It can become unhealthy, comparing yourself all the time.
Interviewer:
I agree. Finally, I’d like to wrap up the interview by asking: if you had a general message to share with anyone out there who might be struggling with body image, what would you say?
Unnati:
I think life is too short to worry about things like this.
Interviewer:
Thank you, Unnati. That was really insightful. Bye!
Unnati:
Bye!