Sunaina Roshan is the elder sister of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan and daughter of filmmaker Rakesh Roshan (Image: Facebook/SunainaRoshan22). Sunaina Roshan — writer, cancer survivor, and Hrithik Roshan’s sister — recently struck a chord on Instagram with a deeply personal note on body image and social bias. Reflecting on her journey, she wrote, “People treat you very differently based on how we look. And I’ve lived both versions.”. She recalled how, during a phase when she was overweight, she often felt invisible. “People made jokes… some reduced me to having my brother Hrithik Roshan’s biceps,” she shared, adding that the same people began engaging with her only after she lost weight. “Nothing about my heart changed… only my body did.”. Her experience highlights a harsh social reality—one that experts say is rooted in psychology.. DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.. “People project their perceptions onto you”: Sunaina Roshan (Image: Facebook/SunainaRoshan22). Why appearance shapes how people treat us. According to Prerna Pant, Psychologist at ISIC Multispecialty Hospital, this behaviour often stems from implicit bias—automatic, unconscious judgments people make based on visible traits.. She explains that society has long associated thinness with discipline and success, while unfairly linking higher body weight with negative traits. These ideas are not inborn but “learned through repeated exposure to media, cultural narratives, and social reinforcement,” she says. Over time, such biases become so ingrained that they influence everyday interactions—even without people realising it.. Why does behaviour change after weight loss. Pant points to the halo effect, where one positive trait—like fitting conventional beauty standards—shapes overall perception.. Story continues below this ad. When someone loses weight, others may suddenly attribute qualities like confidence or competence to them. As she puts it, this shift is less about the person changing and more about perception being filtered through societal standards. In simple terms, people often respond to appearance rather than identity.. View this post on Instagram. Also Read | ‘Was cranky, tired, irritable’: Sunaina Roshan reflects on her reality to stop having sugar, reveals what happened in the first few days. How to protect your self-worth. For those who have faced body shaming, Pant stresses that the problem lies with societal bias—not the individual.. “Building self-awareness and self-compassion becomes essential. Instead of internalising external judgments, individuals can work towards grounding their identity in their values, abilities, and lived experiences, rather than appearance,” the psychologist asserts.. From a therapeutic perspective, Pant recommends following practices to stay mentally balanced:. Expressive writing or art to process emotional experiences. Bo
