Lesufi’s crime wardens being body shamed can motivate them, says psychologist

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s attempts of combating crime in the province through the Crime Prevention Programme, where he recruited 4 000 wardens to patrol the streets of Gauteng, has been met with unfiltered body-shaming of some of the newly hired crime fighters.

“Body shaming and discrimination is as dangerous as racism and sexism. You can be somehow and still be capable to work,” Lesufi responded to the social media hate through Twitter on Workers’ Day, when the recruits were unveiled at Giant Stadium in Soshanguve.

A specific image of one of the overweight recruits made the rounds on social media. Lesufi addressed the hate that was levelled at the warden.

“I’ve taken an extraordinary step to request the training session of Mahlatse Tseko, a crime fighting volunteer who fought criminals for years volunteering.”

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What is body shaming?

By definition, body shaming is defined as the act or practice of mocking or stigmatising someone by making critical comments about the shape, size, or appearance of their body. This can have adverse effects on one’s mental health according to psychologist, Karabo Rasebitse.

“Body shaming in the workplace can be incredibly detrimental to the warden’s productivity due to the lack of confidence in their ability to do their job,” Rasebitse told The Citizen.

“According to research studies, people with disappropriate bodies are often stigmatised based on how they look. The psychological impact of body shaming can have a short-term and a long-term consequence to an individual’s mental health.”

The consequences of body shaming someone

These consequences include as low self-esteem, anxiety as well as depressive symptoms. According to Rasebitse, who runs a private practice at Freedom in Balance Wellness Centre in Bedfordview, body shaming can also lead to feelings of avoidance and choosing to isolate oneself due to the humiliation one has experienced.

“There is an increase in feelings of low self-concept, and self-worth leading to one feeling lonely and sorry for themselves. Additional mental health concerns associated with body-shaming include body dysmorphic disorder, higher risk of self-harm or suicide, poorer quality of life due to body dissatisfaction and psychological distress.”

The experienced psychologist says body shaming is a social construct based on how we are socialised.

“Historically, being overweight was a sign of wealth, whereas being thin was deemed as a sign of poverty. When looking at the current social construct on how an individual should look like, many people think that having a thin body is inherently better and healthier than a larger body.”

Social media plays a role, but… so does family

Social media has given individuals the freedom to say whatever they want to say about people, without real consequences, which has given rise to online bullies and the likes. But Rasebitse warns of ignoring other outlets of hate, outside of social media.

“Generally, we think body shaming happens predominantly on social media. Some of the root causes of body shaming are embedded within the family system and it is made worse by the societal pressure on how a person should look like,” the doctor says.

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“Parents play a vital role in the development of a child’s self-image, and if you grew up having a parent that always criticised how you look, it will have an impact on you as a person. I have also seen clients who were bullied as kids because of their weight and how they looked. All these factors have contributed to some individuals developing anxiety, depression, self-esteem difficulties, eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder.”

Rasebitse adds that the body shaming could act as motivational factor for the wardens to prove themselves to being capable of meeting work demands and expectations, but not everyone is capable of getting themselves out of that mental space.

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