Trends are always in a continuous change that has become difficult to follow, be it food, fashion or body shapes. It is really easy to get lost in the maze of current ideals and keep up with the freshest fads. In order to dispel the doubts, now we summarize the body shape ideals of 2019.

To start at the very beginning, we all know that the characteristics of the 1950’s ideal female body were perky boobs, wide hips and small waists, with Marilyn Monroe at the forefront. In contrast, men’s ideals in the 60’s were defined by such rebellious rock and roll stars like Mick Jagger or Iggy Pop, along with their jaunty, ‘no-need-to-care-about-my-shape’ look.

The era of curves – for the sorrows of many – was switched to the opposite by the ‘70s and ‘80s. At this time, slim and skinny shapes rocked the world and the ensemble of disco girls and supermodels knocked Marilyn Monroe off her perch. Then, curves had no chance for a comeback, instead the skinny craze went to extremes by the 2000’s. Models like Kate Moss revolutionized ‘heroin chic’, the trend of being pale, frail and sickly skinny, which led other models to use heroin on a daily basis to achieve the same appearance. Meanwhile, men have started to go for muscles and bulking since the 70’s, thanks to idols like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose physics were even impossible for an everyday person to attain.

As tanned skin slowly replaced the trend of paleness, body shape ideals have finally changed by 2019. According to personal trainers, lately women require to have a toned, yet thick body that is strong and healthy. Having round bottom is still a common goal, but after getting over the past years’ plastic surgery fascination, women seek to reach it with physical activities instead.

It is important to mention that though body shape ideals seem to become more and more positive and realistic, the harmful effects of social media have a significant push-back on it. Still, personal trainers claim that the increasing number of plus size campaigns and emphasis of self-love help enhance an acceptance for all body types.

Body shape ideals or not, women still care more about burning calories on the treadmill than thinking about cardiovascular health. The best viewpoint would be the focus on overall health instead of physical appearance. The main goal is to integrate into society by following the accepted trends and gain recognition of others. Nevertheless, people should realize that trends and ideals are temporary and strongly subjective, and it is much better to concentrate on personal needs instead.