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Alessandra Ambrosio has a thigh gap and her pics are frequently used as “motivation.” | Source: Anton Oparin/ShutterStock
It wasn’t that long ago that thinspo and pro-anorexia memes, sayings and pictures were splashed all over the Internet (in fact, despite the attempt to ban thinspo, it’s definitely still around), but there’s already a new “weight loss” trend going around: the thigh gap.
I’m not exactly sure when this started, but at some point, girls of all ages, shapes and sizes became obsessed with the idea of having a thigh gap. Never heard of it and wondering what I’m talking about? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a gap between your legs in the upper thigh area. Basically, your legs don’t touch together. Despite the fact that this is not an achievable goal for everyone, because all of our bodies are different, it’s become a serious trend and there are a lot of people who will do anything to get it.
Do a quick Google search of “thigh gap” and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. There are tons of Tumblr pages dedicated to thigh gaps that feature hundreds of pictures of thin girls whose legs don’t touch together. There are lots of fitness blogs and communities that feature how-to’s on getting a thigh gap – one website warns you to avoid exercises that increase your leg muscles like squats and lunges and to focus on cardio to make your thighs thinner. In fact, sometimes it seems like fitspo and thigh gaps go hand in hand.
Search the hashtage #thighgap on Instagram and you’ll see tons of pictures and even arguments on the subject. There’s a Twitter for model Cara Delevingne’s thigh gap with an info that goes like this: ”@CaraDelevingne works me out everyday so I can stay this perfect. Thanks mum 
” The Daily Mail reported that some women are even getting liposuction to get rid of the excess fat on their thighs. The motivation to get a thigh gap seems to be everywhere.
Girls, what is going on?! Why are so many of us obsessed with the idea of a thigh gap? Psychotherapist Kimberly Moffit told The Toronto Sun that “It’s a way for young women to quantify their beauty and prove to themselves that they are attractive – especially if they don’t feel that way on the inside.”
Personally, I feel like this thigh gap trend is just another form of thinspo and I don’t think I’m wrong. Striving for the “perfect” thigh gap is unhealthy in the same way that thinspo is – both show how so many girls are enamored with their wish to be skinnier or the skinniest.
Here’s the thing with a thigh gap: some girls have it and some girls don’t, simple as that. And here’s something super important to remember: just because you don’t have a space between your legs doesn’t mean you’re overweight. There are tons of thin girls out there who don’t have thigh gaps. Excess fat on your legs or muscular thighs aren’t the only things that can cause a girl not to have a thigh gap – bone structure also plays a role.
Not convinced? Take a look at the images here. A thigh gap can depend on your hip bones – if you have wide hips, you’re more likely to have a thigh gap and if you have smaller hips, a thigh gap may not be a possibility. So dieting, starving yourself or doing excessive amounts of cardio exercises may never even help you if your hip bones are small enough.
If you have a thigh gap, great! I’m not trying to put anyone’s body down. And if you don’t have one, please don’t stress about it and please don’t do anything like extreme dieting or even surgery to get one. If you want to exercise and eat healthier to get healthy, that’s awesome. But whenever you’re dieting or exercising, your ultimate goal should always be to be healthy – not to be the skinniest girl in your class. There is nothing wrong with being skinny or thin, but that kind of thinking can lead to a scary eating disorder and we don’t want that for anyone.
I wish we could all learn to celebrate each other’s bodies no matter what shape or size we are. Until we can come to that point, let’s not focus on things that could be unrealistic for your body type just because you can’t go on Tumblr without seeing it.
What do you think about the thigh gap obsession? Is this something you strive to achieve? Do you think it’s the same as thinspo? Tell me in the comments.
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A ‘thigh gap’ has nothing to do with your weight and all about your hip structure.
If your hips aren’t excessively wide, then it’s unlikely you’re going to have a thigh gap unless you weigh a very low weight and have very thin thighs.
You need to love yourself. Your body IS a temple and it’s the only one you’ll ever have in this lifetime – So love it. Feed it good, healthy food, remind yourself daily of all the things you love about it, and love the hang-ups that you have, because whether you realise it or not, they’re beautiful too.
Starving yourself is going to lead you down the road of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Loving your body is going to lead you down the road of happiness, confidence, and acceptance. Which would you really rather?
I have a very tight thigh gap, and I honestly never really cared.
No, everyone should not just accept their bodies. A lot of people can stand to lose some weight and put down the donuts and pizza (which aren’t doing you any favors). it is totally okay to want a slender and sexy body, which will help you feel more confident and secure in yourself. It doesn’t mean it takes away from what’s in between your ears and your interests.
Also, women have been wanting thinner thighs for eons. This is nothing new! Why do you think the thigh master was so widely received. Books like ‘The Thigh Gap Hack’ and tumblrs/instagrams that feature women with slimmer thighs is akin to workout videos like ‘six pack abs’ and body building websites. It’s just a different focus.
Plus, it is totally not necessary to starve oneself to get thinner thighs. I’d encourage you to google ‘The Thigh Gap Hack’ or go to http://www.thighgaphack.com and learn how to increase your metabolism, how to target stubborn body fat (which WOMEN have to deal with in the lower body), what exercises to do and which to avoid for your unique goals, etc.
I kinda don’t get what the obsession is with being skinny. I mean, I understand if you’re overweight and want to lose weight for health reasons(within reasonable parameters of course!). That’s a good thing. Being skinny or having a thigh gap doesn’t necessarily make you a happier person. I’m really thin and I do have a bit of a gap but honestly, I don’t care. It’s not like it makes me better than anyone else. No one is ever going to be completely content with their bodies, no matter how “perfect” they may be to anyone else.
I have a thigh gap. However, I am trying to get rid of it by doing squats and a lot of leg weights. I even had a thigh gap when I was overweight. I just want to be nicely toned and healthy thats my ultimate goal.
The thing I don’t like about gurl.com is that you’re trying to drill it into our heads that we’re beautiful the way we are. That’s like telling a puppy to play with the red, boring, flavorless toy instead the of blue, tasty, fun toy. Both toys are on the ground and you’re making the dog play with the red toy instead of its favorite one. It doesn’t work they way you want, and it will only make the puppy want to play with the blue toy even more.
In this case, the blue toy is what girls want in terms of their bodies. They don’t want you to tell them one thing when they want another.
And plus, this article is making it sound like every girl is trying to kill themselves over dieting/ have surgeries in order to have the thigh gap. It’s only a small percentage of girls that are doing that. Most girls want what they can’t have. A lot of girls want a thigh gap, myself included, but they’re not going to do anything about it most likely.
When I was anorexic as a teen, the thigh gap was the measure by which I tracked my weight loss “success”. Even when my periods stopped, and my mother took me to the doctor, I continued to view the ever-widening space between my thighs as a badge of success. My anorexia nervosa, as it was called back then, was interrupted by a family crisis which shifted my focus. Although the family drama did its own damage, it did put an end to my anorexia. And for that, I am grateful. I realize that there is tremendous pressure from media and the fashion industry to be skeletal, but I have learned that, in real life, men actually prefer women with a little meat on them. Please don’t harm yourself striving to attain an unreachable, unhealthy, inaccurate standard of female beauty. It can literally kill you, and you deserve much better than that!
wow it’s true what they say about people never being satisfied with what they have. i have a thigh gap and personally i hate it.. when i’m in a bathing suit it makes it looks awkwardly like a bridge…
I am sorry, but that’s just plain dumb. I’m fairly thin (120 pounds) and have no thigh gap and I am prefectly fine with that. Not to be cocky, but I rock a swimsuit; anyone who feels the need to stare at my thighs and judge me needs to take a hard look at themselves. Have pride in your body gurls, you’re beaustiful no matter what silly body trends make you think is supposed to be “normal”.
I LOVE the fact that my thighs touch together. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite things about my body.
Y’all should watch this video by Phillip Defranco – it’s about confidence, and what makes a woman sexy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw6AMY2WYO0
I don’t have a thigh gap and I’m perfectly happy. I am not about to give up my donuts and steak just to try to get space between my legs! I’m not fat because I have practice after school everyday. I’m toned, muscular, and healthy. I’M AWESOME!!
So sad. People should focus on having good morals and personalities, not bodies. Beauty only gets you so far, if you’re ugly on the inside it doesn’t matter how pretty your face is or if your legs touch. ~ The parents that endorse these trends disgust me. Teach your children that they’re perfect the way they are!
You forgot to mention that having thighs that touch HURTS. Having no thigh gap means that your thighs chafe when you walk, especially if its warm out. I’ve never been able to achieve a thigh gap but would love one, because I am tired of sore skin on my inner thighs in the summer.
Baby powder works WONDERS.
I actually thought that everyone had thighs that touch, so when I got on tumblr and found out about the thigh gap, I got really self-conscious and keep dreaming about having a thigh gap. It’s kinda sad how quickly changed I was ^_^; I gotta learn to accept that my thighs touch lol…
I have been struggling with an eating disorder for quite sometime and i have a thigh gap but it still needs to be bigger . I do consider it thinspo cause it reminds me not to eat alot if i want a perfect thigh gap. Alot of blogs ik worship them.
Darling, you really need to stop! You sound like you have a very unhealthy mindset! I know the struggle with eating disorders, but you sound like you are in desperate need of a hug and some reassurance. Please don’t struggle alone, there is no reason in the world why you should!