As it has been for years, body shaming causes extreme controversy in our society. The fact that the word shaming and body are shared in the same phrase is beyond infuriating. The problem with body shaming is that it even exists in the first place. The fact that a human being, who walks the same earth as every other living person can be ashamed of the body that they were born with is beyond me. The worst part is that the reason these people, like myself, feel self conscious about the only body that they will ever possess is not because of themselves, but because of the people around them that they have no control over.

People who were raised to believe that "fat" is an okay word to use towards another person who's got a little more meat on their bones than them. People who don't realize how it'd feel if the roles were reversed and their self esteem was being destroyed due to the lack of empathy and consideration from another human being just like themselves. It has to stop. Skinny-shaming, Fat-shaming, Fit-shaming, all of it. Body-shaming isn't always about heavier people, it's about skinny people who aren't muscular enough, it's about fit people who are considered too muscular and curvy people who are told they need to lose weight. It's about the skinny girl who has to worry about whether or not a man will like her because she doesn't have big boobs or a large enough butt.

It's about the skinny guy who's worried that his lack of abdomen muscles will affect his popularity. It's about the fit girl who hears whispers about how her back and shoulder's make her "look like a man" and it's about the fit guy who's constantly worried about the need to bulk up so that girls will still consider him "sexy." It's about the curvy girl who's been told she's overweight for years and needs to remind herself that eating a french fry doesn't determine her self worth. It's about the curvy guy who has to wonder whether or not he's too "overweight" to talk to the pretty girl at the bar.

It's about society making people forget about the most important part of every individual, their soul. It's about society making perfectly healthy and happy souls believe that they aren't good enough and don't deserve the love of another human being because of the way they look on the outside. Every person's body is unique to them, it shares a story that only they can understand and until you've been giving the chance to understand that story, you have no right to judge them and I guarantee that when you do hear it, you won't want to.

There are many individual's that, when given an important platform in society, use it to further "promote" body shaming, instead of being proactive, like Demi Lovato, and encouraging individuals to be confident in their own skin. Realizing that your body doesn't define who you are as a person, is one of the most important thing's someone can do for themselves and their mental health. Loving yourself is about loving WHO you are, not WHAT you look like. Shaming someone else for not looking like you or shaming yourself for not being a Victoria's Secret model is so unhealthy and a major factor in what causes mental health disabilities such as depression, anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphia and anxiety. By educating society on the fact that having the "perfect" body doesn't exist and showing them that it's okay to be different will slowly but surely make the stigma of body shaming seize to exist, creating a happier and healthier society/world.

So, remember the phrase "never judge a book by its cover" next time you go to think "she's too skinny" or look at yourself and listen to the people who told you you didn't look like the way that they deem beautiful. Because it's not about them and what they think, it's about you and learning to love yourself even when it seems like everyone else doesn't. There'll always be someone who doesn't understand the story in between the two covers of your book, but that doesn't mean you aren't a bestseller. Body shaming will deteriorate over time, because the light in this world is too damn bright to be filled with the negative effects of such an unnecessary issue.

Never forget,