Physical appearance has always been a very focused-on aspect when considering our thoughts on others and ourselves. Younger girls (and boys) are easily influenced by the media. The media infamously showcases skinny ab-bearing female and male models showing off the newest trends. This has without doubt led teenagers to believe they need to achieve that toned “summer body” form to flaunt around. This has caused exceeding discouragement for those who might not have the natural slim body form, or who work for it and can not seem to achieve what they are striving for. Fortunately, that slim ab-bearing body form has been essentially eradicated from what was once the stereotypical attractive summer-body to strive for. Instead, body positivity brought on and introduced a new found love for and acceptance of seemingly larger body types, straying from the 0-waist expectation. Good news, right?

Wrong. Body positivity is a hoax. And before you disagree, hear me out.

I do not believe “body positivity” is what we are about. It is not what is being encouraged or celebrated. Models are becoming more average, healthy weights and reasonable heights. Clothing is more inclusive in which a size 6 is no longer a tight, no-room-for-air form fit. Pants hold larger waists before being considered “Plus Size.” All of these are great things, less discrimination, less hate for being average or slightly overweight. I am not against the celebration and inclusion of average and/or slightly overweight sizes in your normal “Women’s” section in the store rather than the “Plus Size” section.

However, the entire point of healthy body images is being skewed. In the midst of all the inclusion we have begun to not only encourage unhealthy body care and weights, but exclude smaller body sizes as well. “Body Positivity” should be about taking care of our bodies according to our personal factors: metabolism, activity, age, height and those pesky *inherited* traits. We should be striving to flaunt our healthy, appropriate bodies at the beach. Instead, over the last couple years larger bodies are being encouraged- physical traits such as unhealthily harmfully large breasts, “bubble butts” and “thicc thighs” are what [most specifically women] are striving to achieve to show off. Women are using body positivity to accept unhealthy images and weights, assuming it is okay to be overweight because that is what media is telling us. This body image is not always healthy for all types of women. There are smaller built women in the world. We do exist, and healthily I might add. I strive to have a healthy body form- not only to look good but to feel good, too. As surprising as it may seem, at 4 foot and 7 inches an eighty-five pound body is healthy. The recent campaigns for “body positivity” do not include smaller healthy body forms- only average or larger body forms are encouraged in today’s society. While I can understand the “Zero is not a size” campaign, I have to beg to disagree. “0” is size. In fact, “00” is a size. Newsflash, clothing companies: Extra-Small is a size too! We still exist. Stop comparing my slim stature to an average woman’s, and using that to hurt me. Don’t tell me I have the body of a 12-year old girl compared to your womanly body because I do not possess “all the right curves” that you do. I am still a woman, just like you.

Body positivity should be a campaign to achieve healthy body forms and weights, meeting our expected BMI’s and average weights-for-heights. Be body positive in the sense that you want the best for your body. Do not just accept an unhealthy expectation or form. How to achieve appropriate body positivity? Eat healthy. Exercise accordingly. Sleep an appropriate amount of hours. Drink water. Most importantly, feel comfortable in your skin. Do not just accept your body form because your friends say you’re beautiful the way you are. You absolutely are beautiful- just be healthy and beautiful. Instead of tearing eachother down, we need to be mindful and encouraging of our differing aspects. Be body positive, not body objective: “0” is a size, and so is “12.” We are all different shapes, sizes, colors and statures. We are all different people. We are all beautiful, and we can all be powerful.