This guy has a nice thigh gap.
nuzree / Pixabay
Yesterday, I had to explain to someone what a thigh gap was. This poor father of a young teenaged girl had overheard her saying that she was hitting the gym to work on her thigh gap. And he was confused and concerned.
I will be honest, I do not understand the obsession with the thigh gap. Okay, so it’s more attractive if your thighs do not touch. Fine, whatever. I’m pretty sure my thighs have always touched. I mean, there may have been a growth spurt somewhere in my life where they didn’t, but for the most part, my thighs have been very close friends. I am so glad corduroy pants aren’t in right now. Anyone else remember that sound?
I’m also pretty sure that no matter how much weight I lose, my thighs will always touch. It’s a function of how I’m shaped. And the same is true for a lot of women. It has to do with hips and bones and other anatomical things that I don’t know a lot about. And there are women who will always have a thigh gap because of how they’re built.
I have seen photos online where people are clearly photoshopping their legs so that they give themselves a gap between their thighs or they stand so that it looks like their thighs naturally don’t touch. Seriously? Why is this a thing?
So this dad is now worried that his daughter is obsessing over something she can’t control. My suggestion was just to keep an eye on her. Nothing wrong with a teen going to the gym to workout. Nothing wrong with working on your leg muscles. In fact, I should do more to strengthen my inner and outer thighs to help with knee stability. But if it starts to become an obsession, that’s maybe when it’s time to start asking questions.
Adults do it too. Obsess over whether their thighs touch and how to make them not touch. No matter what I do, my thighs are always going to be the bestest of friends. And I just have to accept that. Accept what you can’t change and change what you can. And don’t let what is popular determine your self worth. Who knows, next year we might be obsessed with pointy elbows or perfectly straight fingers. Trends are weird.
Great post. This kind of thing makes me sick, to be honest with you. I HATE that teens/young girls are even thinking about something like this. Like you, my thighs have ALWAYS been best friends. And, like you said, it is absolutely the way I’m shaped…my weight has been up and down my entire life, but I’ve always been bigger on the bottom, no matter what the number on the scale says. I used to be brutally teased for my “fat” legs (creative gems like “thunder thighs,” and the like) and it has taken me a LOOOOONG time to accept them. As you said, you shouldn’t focus on changing what you can’t, so I decided to re-train myself to think of them as “strong.” I may have larger thighs than the average woman, but those thighs are what power me through a brutal martial arts class, or carry me over the finish line of a marathon! I hope this is a “trend” that disappears sooner rather than later…as women, we have enough to worry about without obsessing whether or not our thighs touch!
Jennifer @ The Final Forty recently posted…Wine & Dine 2015 and PRO Compression Giveaway Winner!
Jennifer, the only time I even think about whether my thighs touch anymore is when I’m wearing a skirt and considering if there will be chafing. Then I discovered that I can buy little shorties to go under a skirt and life is awesome. And I am also not against wearing a pair of spandex shorts under a formal dress.
I was on site and I heard a little girl tell her mentor at work that she was ugly. That broke my heart. What the hell is the media teaching our girls?
Cheri @ Overactive Blogger recently posted…Blest Studios
My thighs naturally slope inward – I would have to lose a LOT of weight to beat the gap. Like, an unhealthy amount. Don’t think so!
Jenn @ Fairest Run of All recently posted…The Fairest Trip Report of All: La Cava del Tequila Review
Interesting post. I had dinner with a friend who is raising two kids, one of them a nine year old girl. I was asking him if he thought she was experiencing any of the social pressures to stay thin (she’s a very slim girl naturally) and he commented that at her birthday party last week, all of the girls ordered pretty healthy food off the menu. Note they went to Red Robin where burgers and fries are the norm but a lot of the girls traded fries for fruit or a salad. It definitely was interesting to me.
Christine @ We Run Disney recently posted…Mental Stamina and some Tips from Jeff Galloway
That is interesting, Christine. I mean, if they like fruit or salads, that’s one thing, but I’m going to bet some of those girls really wanted fries but chose the healthier option because of peer pressure. That’s so sad.