We all know the drill—as soon as temperatures start to climb, the pesky social media ads begin to swarm our feeds with the pressure to drop weight for summer. It’s everywhere. From magazines to Instagram ads, we are bombarded with diets and workouts that promise a “bikini body.” It’s all a predictable ritual that pressures us to attain an idealized body type.
For as long as I can remember, the onset of warm weather brought about a slew of phrases that became engrained into my mind as a prepubescent child. One of my earliest memories of the “bikini body” language came from my dance teacher. In class, she announced we’d be doing extra crunches ahead of summer to get “swimsuit ready.” I was eight years old.
Where did the idea of the “bikini body” come from?
The term “bikini body” was popularized in 1961, according to The Cut. A weight-loss salon chain called Slenderella (yes, that was the actual name!), ran international ads coining the term in the New York Times and Washington Post. The ad read, “Summer’s wonderful fun is for those who look young.” The ad continues, “High firm bust, hand span weight, trim firm hips, slender graceful legs, a Bikini body!”
Slenderella promoted “passive exercise,” claiming clients could drop several sizes by lying on vibrating tables. Not only did the weight-loss chain have trouble adhering to science, but they didn’t adhere to the law either. Eventually, they were accused of tax evasion—and the Better Business Bureau campaigned against its misleading advertisements. Cue the tomato throwers.
Soon after, other weight-loss companies picked up where they left off and started talking about “bikini bodies.” These companies pushed “contour wraps” and “flesh-firming machines.” By the 1980s, the term began popping into society’s everyday language. Magazines and online advertisements pushed “bikini body workouts” and “bikini body diets” along with endless tips on joy-free meal plans that promised the same results that the weight-loss company Slenderella once did. The effects of these ads can be disturbing, especially when summer is in full swing.
The problem with the “bikini body” mindset
The “beach body” is similar to the bikini body. Both terms suggest (and put pressure on you) changing your body in anticipation of summer. These terms have perpetuated the idea that the only body allowed to wear a bikini to the beach is a “slim, young, and perfectly proportioned frame.”
It’s no wonder why so many of us begin to stress in anticipation of our summer vacation. Our culture has implied that we need to “get ready” before we deserve to go out on the beach and enjoy ourselves. As soon as we can read magazine headlines at the grocery store checkout line, we’re told our body needs to “tone up” before we can feel comfortable in our skin.
“A lot of my clients dread the summer, especially a lot of my teenagers,” notes Shira Rosenbluth, an eating disorder specialist based in LA. “A lot of times, their eating disorder symptoms get worse before the summer. They know they’re going to be seen wearing a bikini or swimsuit, and it’s scary for them.” Rosenbluth says in order for the notion of the bikini body to become obsolete, we have to look at what is perpetuating the problem in the first place.
The diet and weight loss industries are lucrative machines designed to make many nonsensical ideas seem worthwhile. In 2021, data showed the market valuation for the weight loss industry peaked at $72.6 billion, up 24% from previous years. Part of the problem? Countless fitness influencers on Instagram and TikTok (many with no relevant degrees or credentials, mind you!) invade your pages from all angles.
The social media algorithm can curate itself into an endless scroll of diet tricks and “tips,” many containing harmful and false information. “Internal shower recipes” and “what I eat in a day” videos made by fitness influencers often don’t contain enough crucial macro and micronutrients for a healthy body, many clocking in well under the necessary calorie count for a human being to function healthily.
How do we officially put an end to infamous “bikini body” language?
Admittedly, saying “screw it” isn’t easy. Refusing to take on pressure from society to fit an ideal requires a massive amount of internal work. Looking at the root of “bikini body” language, we can find more complicated and imprinted ideas, such as misogyny and fatphobia. Rejecting ideas that are engrained into our psyche can take decades (if not generations).
“I think the feeling of wanting a bikini body is valid because of what we’ve been taught,” Rosenbluth says. “It’s about empathizing and validating those feelings but not colluding with them.” Cleansing your social media of diet culture messaging can help, as well. (Pro tip: When you see an ad or post promoting it, tap the […] on the top right of the post and select “Hide” to teach the algorithm you don’t want to be targeted with this type of content.)
You can also seek out brands that celebrate body diversity, instead of pedestalizing one body ideal. Over the past few years, several brands have begun to create inclusive-sized swimwear. With a more extensive range of sizes available, consumers started digesting the revolutionary idea that a bikini body could simply be…a body in a bikini. Some of our favorite brands that provide inclusive swimwear sizing are Torrid, Athleta, Parade, Andie, and Londre.
Another way to begin eliminating the “bikini body” mentality is to remember where the idea came from in the first place—illegitimate companies pushing false claims to invest in the lucrative business of weight loss. Companies like Slenderella who glorified a “bikini body” weren’t looking to help clients live a healthier life; they were pushing an exclusive narrative that encouraged the idea that the only way to be accepted was to make yourself smaller.
Our worth is not defined by the size of our bodies. Each of us is gloriously unique and individual. That includes bodies of all different sizes. Even if everyone in the world participated in the same workouts and ate the same foods, we would STILL all look different. Amazing, right?
When each of us passes on, no one will care if we had a bikini body or not. Our loved ones will reminisce on our character; our joyful moments, our laughter, and the love we gave. In the meantime, life is meant to be celebrated. Work out because it feels good. Eat foods that nourish your body AND your soul. And gosh darn it, go to the beach and wear whatever swimwear makes you feel fabulous. Your body is beautiful for merely existing, NOT because of its size.
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2 responses to “Why You Don’t Need a “Bikini Body”—And the History Behind It”
Yes, Kat!!!!!!! Thank you so much for this.
Great reminder this idea is all about marketing, not health. Thanks for the article!