#BodyTalkWithCosmo: Skinny in Seoul, curvy in Cairo—how weight is seen around the world

In Seoul, women are generally more petite physiologically. In Cairo, a hint of softness is often seen as a sign of wealth and femininity. In the West, they now glorify bodies that are lean yet glowing, strong yet never “too bulky”—a carefully curated balancing act between wellness and vanity. What gets missed in the noise is this: body ideals are not universal. They’re local, they’re layered, and they’re informed just as much by global Instagram culture as they are by when your dinner is served, whether you’re expected to have a second helping, and how often your relatives comment on your waistline.

Wellness coach Raksha Lulla works with clients around the world, with many of them being Indian women who navigate body image in both their native and adopted cultures. She has seen firsthand how geography can shape how we treat, train, and talk about our bodies. Here, she breaks it down for us.

Body Goals Are Cultural Capital

“The paradox is wild,” Lulla says. “Indian women abroad, many of whom I work with, have actually leaned more into sustainability and fitness than thinness. The wave of self-love and mental health awareness abroad has helped them see themselves as worthy in an L or XL just as much as they would in an M.” Ironically, she adds, “these are often the women who end up dropping sizes soonest.”

Why? Because their motivation isn’t shame or comparison, it’s nourishment and balance. “They’re chasing strength and better sleep. Not thigh gaps.”

The internet is strong. Your auntie’s opinion is stronger.

“Most Indian women don’t want to lose weight for themselves,” Lulla says bluntly. “They want to do it because their relatives won’t stop asking why they haven’t.” And even when they move abroad, the body pressure doesn’t disappear, it just travels with them.

“A lot of my clients abroad suddenly panic before a trip back to India. They want to lose weight before facing their families,” she explains. “So no, it’s not really the culture or the global internet that defines the pressure. It’s the family WhatsApp group.”

Social media isn’t diversifying body standards, it’s cloning them

While much of the conversation around body image suggests that social media is offering more diversity, Lulla isn’t sold. “Honestly, I think it’s just copy-paste at this point. Everyone’s a version of the same clean-girl aesthetic: the gold hoops, the slick bun, the Stanley cup.” The illusion of uniqueness becomes just another uniform. “We’ve flattened individuality in the name of aesthetics,” she says.

The cultures that do it better

So, which parts of the world are actually getting wellness right? “My UK clients eat dinner at 6 p.m. I love it,” she says. “They don’t have the late-night chaat cravings, the sugar dips, or the bad sleep cycles that come from erratic eating. Their work cultures respect mealtimes and rest, which makes it so much easier to stay in balance.” One thing is clear, then: it’s not about what’s on the plate, it’s when, how, and why it’s eaten.

What Indian women can learn

If there’s one mindset shift Lulla wants for Indian women, it’s this: own your weight. “Your food, your hormones, your body, it’s your business. Not your aunt’s, not your neighbour’s.”

She urges women to reclaim autonomy over their bodies and move beyond generational scrutiny. “It’s not just about weight loss, it’s about liberation.”

Moving abroad? Don’t let new beauty ideals break you

Shifting cultural ideals can feel disorienting, especially for women who migrate or travel often. So, how do you stay grounded? “Remember what your body has done for you,” Raksha says. “It’s parented you. It’s carried you across oceans. It’s helped you build a life in new time zones and new cities. Your body size should never be up for discussion.”

 

Lead Image: Pexels

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