A lot of this is also wrapped up in Blackness, where there is a long history of white people saying our bodies do not fit Eurocentric, Greco-Roman norms. As you said, the chase for a perfect body leads us away from the happiness we could have by accepting our pounds and being around people who unconditionally love us for them.

I write this from the perch of a person who had to abandon his 5 day a week workouts in light of COVID anxiety and new fatherhood. My belly's a bit bigger and I have to work everyday to remind myself it does not disqualify me from acceptance and love and admiration. I have had to do a lot of reprogramming on what a strong, desirable male body type looks like so I could hold my head high every day.