When I saw this hashtag on Twitter on August 10, I had no idea what it was or what it meant. When I read the tweets, it became apparent that #FatSideStories was about the awkward, humiliating, and awful things that "fat" people have gone through. Although, it was started by Your Fat Friend on Twitter asking "fellow fats” to share their bad dating experiences. It soon spiraled into all the bad, miserable, and abusive things that "fat" people have gone through or still go through on a daily basis.

I want to share with you some of the most heartbreaking tweets I came across, but some of my own experiences I have had as a heavier person. People say fat-phobia does not exist, I beg to differ, as I’m sure would everyone who told part of their story with #FatSideStories.

And these are just some of the tweets I found of people discussing what they go through in their every day lives just because we are not the epitome of what a body is expected to look like according to the the media. Being heavier should not dictate how we are treated as a person, but sadly, it does a lot of the time.

I also want to share with you some of my #FatSideStories because I have stories like these people do, too.

Well, how do you think I feel if you're a size 6 saying no one will love you because you're fat? I'm way more than a size 6.

You tell me I'm fat, I go to the gym to lose weight, I get made fun of while trying to lose the weight you mock me for. It's sad to have to say that I feel fortunate that this has only happened to me once. I know other heavy set people who have experienced the whispers, looks, and even having their pictures taken while they're at the gym. We are not animals at a zoo, we're people and we deserve respect.

My experience is like many other heavy girls and women. Boys and or men dare their friends to say something nice to us, like "you're pretty," or even dare them to ask us out. When we say thank you for a compliment or say yes to the invitation to go out, we get laughed at and then usually verbally abused. Now, we question every romantic interest thinking that it's a cruel joke because we've been conditioned to think we're worthless and that no one could possibly ever like us just because we're fat.

Every time I go out to eat, I question what I should eat, even if I should eat. If I get a salad, it's "Well, you didn't get fat eating salads, you're not fooling anyone!" Or if I get anything besides salad, I get "No wonder why you're fat!"

I have never had confidence because of my body, just like many other heavy people. We heavier people get told to lose weight, but when we go to the gym, we get made fun of. We try to eat healthy, we get made fun of. We eat what we want, we get made fun of. We wear what we want, we get made fun of.

In college, I developed disordered eating because I was so disgusted with my body. I ate a Luna or Clif bar for breakfast and had a cup of Saltines for dinner. I starved myself because I was so ashamed of my body because I have been conditioned all my life to be. I have been conditioned to think that because I'm heavier, I have no value or worth. My story is one of thousands, probably millions.

Don't judge a person by their size. Just because we're bigger, it doesn't mean we deserve any less love and respect than any other person.

Think before you speak. Words stay with people forever.