“You’re so lucky.” “I wish I looked like you.” “I hate you.” “You’re so thin.” “Let’s trade bodies.” These are a few sentences that I’ve heard in my life. Many times when we hear body positivity, we are brought onto topics of accepting our imperfections or things we cannot change easily. Unfortunately men and women of all ages endure body shaming. This can be in the context of fat shaming and/ or thin shaming. Body shaming of any sorts is completely and utterly disrespectful. It’s hard enough when one might be struggling with how they look, but when others give their unwanted and unruly opinions, the words cut deep.
I stand at 5’4 and weigh in at around 113 lbs. I was an extremely active child, which continued into my teenage years. If I could compare myself to an object, it would be a stick. I have no curves, which means I could pass as Flat Stanley’s twin sister. I’m not like this because I don’t eat or I constantly work out. Ask my roommates; I eat pizza at least 3 times a week. It’s because of genetics. My weight is something I have no control over. When I first heard Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”, I was confused and appalled by the lyrics of men liking “booty” to hold at night, while thinner women were being titled as “skinny bitches.” I will be the first to say, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
As a thinner girl, even I have felt unhappy and insecure about my body. I’ve heard everything under the sun about not having a butt, boobs, and no curves. I cannot tell you how many routines I have tried to “tone” and “lift” my gluteus maximus. The truth is, A. I cannot squat for the hell of my life, and B. I don’t have enough time/care in the world to try and fix myself. But what I’ve realized is that no one, including myself, will be 100% happy with the way they look. Whether it be with their nose, hair color, adding body art, losing/adding pounds, whatever it may be. At the end of the day, all the hurtful titles and degrading body shaming towards sizes and shapes is unnecessary. No one likes to hear mean, descending comments about their weight. Instead of looking at others and putting them down, we should be embracing those around us.
I’m glad to say we do not and will never live in a Barbie world. I never want to hear my niece, cousins, or future children tell me they are unhappy with the size they are. Every body is created differently. We need to teach our youth that everyone is beautiful the way they are and shouldn’t change who they are unless they see it fitting. It’s 2017 for crying out loud! It’s time to recognize the beauty we all carry with us. Words hurt no matter what people say. Skinny shaming has negative effects just as much as fat shaming. Statements like “you need a bigger ass” or “you need to eat” doesn’t cause anyone to feel good. Instead, shockingly, it does the complete opposite. Those same people will find themselves thinking or trying to find new ways to change their bodies just to have others stop commenting on their looks.
We live in a society where everywhere you look, girls and boys are plastered looking insanely gorgeous. We are constantly feeling the pressure of trying to be ‘perfect.’ Yet, there is no perfect. Those same models are on the exact same hunt as we are. In order to find what we truly believe is the definition of beautiful, we must stop looking for it, but search within ourselves. Beauty is loving who we are, and accepting it. Beauty is not caring what others have to say. Beauty is being untroubled, positive, and confident. For our society to grow and change as a whole, lets start with not judging those who don’t look like us. Every body is different, but each man and woman is equally beautiful no matter shape, size, age, or color.