21 Indians Told Us The One Comment That Changed The Way They Look At Their Bodies

"You are too ugly to be liked by any man. I just tolerated you."

We asked our readers to tell us the one comment from a family member/friend/loved one that changed the way they perceive their bodies. Here are some of the responses:

At university I went out with someone who said I was "not bad and all", but did I know I'd be "pornstar level hot" if I just lost like 5kg? (I was not even obese, although with this guy around I was probably lugging around some dead weight) -.-

– nananasahana on Instagram.

An ex, on wearing red lipstick for the first time: 'Don't you think thats too.... slutty?' Ended up wearing only nudes for many years hence. What a monumentally bad decision, because red lipsticks are the best.

-Anita Shyam.

Ex-boyfriend – "You are too ugly to be liked by any man, I toh just tolerated you. If any man ever tells you you are good-looking, it is only to get into your pants." I stayed away from all men who ever complimented me. For the longest time.

– Nandini Arora.

"Don't walk like a girl." – Many of my relatives (all men and older).

Stupid as I was in my tweens, I actually worked hard to change my gait to make it "manly". Now people tell me I walk "like a log". Never listen to people. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

– Ashutosh Mishra.

"Fair and Lovely lagati ho kya?" – Dadi.

"Jaa ke sunscreen laaga lo. Aur kala banna hain kya?" – Aunt.

And then...

"Did you know that in the times of Mahabharata, dark-skinned Indians were considered the most beautiful?" – Dad.

– Vishaka Sakhi.

"Thodi height pakdo, build a personality!" (Because height has so much to do with your personality).

"Kaisa haddi hai yeh? Ghar pe koi khaana nahi deta? Thode motey ho jao, aise sukde thodi acche lagte ho."

– Devansh Jain.

Once a friend came up to me and said, "I like walking with you, because I don't have to hurry." Since that time, I'm walking a lot faster, but still not fast enough to keep up with my friends.

– amaal.alhassanxr on Instagram.

"You sure you want to keep your eyebrows that thick?" – Friends/family.

"Beta, zyaada workout mat karo. You will look like a man" / "Beta workout shuru kardo, you are gaining weight". – Every aunty ever.

I was starting to think maybe I am just surrounded by assholes but then..

"Tum jaisi ho perfect ho, bass khush raho" - My mum. 😍😎

– Mehwish Ghulam Ali.

"Lose weight, get tall and pray every day, or else I won't find a good guy for you. If you don't do this, I'll marry you off to the first guy who is good enough no matter what your age is." My father said this to me when I was 17. I'm an atheist too.

-jessicanagpal on Instagram.

I was once told by a close friend of my mother that I was "too short to be chubby", and that I had to hit the gym because it's just absurd how a person with a height of 5'0" could choose to be anything but stick thin.

– frat.boy.dad on Instagram.

Mom said to me, "Look at your face, it's full of pimples and acne. Nobody can look at you thoroughly with that kind of view".

– sinthiadelvi on Instagram.

A friend saying, "You used to be so thin in 7th (grade), what now? Plan to be even fatter?" She even said "start being girlish and talk a bit less with guys, else they'll think you are a transgender. And don't wear dresses, you look bad."

– Sukriti Dutta.

Mum when I look chubby – "Beta, you need to lose weight. You won't get rishtas otherwise"

Mum when I do lose weight – "Beta, you need to look fit, not sick. Go eat something. Otherwise you won't get rishtas."

I've always had self-esteem issues. In my eyes, I'm always fat and ugly even if the world thinks otherwise.

– Neha Mumtaz.

I was just 5 years old when I first heard this from my cousins. Growing up, I've always been insecure about the way I look. There were days when I looked in the mirror and wondered if I was always this ugly.

I hit an all time low last year. It took countless sessions to the therapist and my parents' endless support for me to get out of it.

You don't have to beat the society's standards of beauty to feel beautiful.

You are beautiful.

– Fathima Shibu.

My boyfriend of three years said this to me before breaking up. I was never the same. The confidence I had – poof – all gone. I don't know if I'll ever recover from this.

P.S: I have hypothyroidism.

– Resham Makkar.

Before a job interview. "Straighten your hair, it looks unprofessional."

– Meghna Bali.

"You're the rebel in your family, aren't you? Good. It's not good to conform."

The day my co-worker hugged me and told me she liked that I experimented with colours and dresses that someone of my skin-tone or body-type doesn't normally wear. Helped me through a lot of tough times. Still does.

– Tania Teeyaah Umar.

At my father's funeral, a random business associate of my father's came up to me and said "I'm so sorry for your loss but... you've been gaining a lot of weight. Maybe hit the gym." This coming from a gent who hasn't seen his own junk since the bicentennial.

– Divija Mohan.

When fat – "Are you sure she will lose that when she hits puberty or something? I think she will have problems conceiving".

When growing thin – "My god, this girl looks malnourished. She was better before. At least she had something. Now she looks pale and dead".

F*** you, Aunty.

– Hanoof Sayeed.

"Why are you so dark? I think you're not scrubbing properly. It's probably dirt".

– Anjika Prashar.

The first time I stood naked in front of a man, every inch of my skin was conscious and demanding approval : if I was okay, the way I was. However so this man told me how it was wrong and the only image that was perfect was the one I wanted to have in my own mind. To this day, I still remember how that conversation had made me okay with stretch marks,acne,saggy breasts and not succumbing to what's expected of you, in terms of body image or any other choice unless you find it befitting.

– Drishti Sharma.

Body Positivity Week is a week of content devoted to exploring and celebrating our complicated relationships with our bodies. Check out more great Body Positivity Week content here.