All my life, I have heard comments like "OMG Swara, you are so fat," "Swara, you look like an old aunty," or people called me names like "fatty," "moti" (Hindi for fat), "gundu" (Tamil for fat), balloon, etc. My classmates/friends used to make jokes about me being fat, and that made me feel bad! And I feel even worse when my relatives also say the same thing! I wonder why people say such mean things? Why do they want to make me feel bad?

It's not my fault that I don't have a fast metabolism like a lot of people. Frankly speaking, I don't even eat much! I always eat in my limit! I used to go to the gym too!

It's not that I haven't tried to lose weight, I really have. At the age of 16, I started dieting for six months, and I lost 12 kgs. This was a lot of hard work for me. The amount I ate was less, so sometimes I felt a little weak. I still don't believe that dieting works, it may help you lose weight, but it will still make you feel a little weak! Anyways, after that I was maintaining throughout.

Then I moved to Malaysia, and that's when I became obese! That's when people started making jokes about me, called me names, etc. But more than that, I was facing health problems. So I did yoga every single day, did a lot of sun salutations (Surya Namaskar in Hindi) and I lost a lot of weight. But, to tell you the truth, it didn't make me happy at all! I was happy just because I got rid of my health problems, but unhappy because a part of me wondered, whom I am doing this all for?

I had noticed that people only started liking me after I lost weight. All those jokes and name-calling stopped. But even if I gain one or two kgs due to being busy with exams, homework or traveling, all those insults came back again! I mean is this what you like me for? This shows that size matters more than personality! Why couldn't people see the hard work I've done?

If you guys really care about me, then you would understand what I am going through, and you would rather be supportive! To all the obese people who comment, well just because you couldn't do much about your body, that doesn't mean you can comment on other people's body to make them feel as bad! And to all the slim people who comment, you may have a perfect body, but that doesn't mean you can put other people down, to make yourself feel good! If you think commenting on a person's body makes you feel good, it doesn't! It not only makes the other person feel bad, but it also makes you feel bad! Believe me!

Making fun of a person's weight is not funny at all! In fact, this is torture! If you think that commenting on a person's weight will make you feel good, it won't! It will make you as a worse person. It's because of these negative comments people starve and they go into something worse like having an eating disorder! Please give them support! Please see the amount of hard work they do!

For all the overweight people like me, don't get so affected by these comments! It is your choice! You are perfect the way you are! Don't lose weight just because other people tell you to, do it for yourself! Eat as much as you want, as long as it satisfies your stomach. There are no rules and restrictions! It's not that I don't like working out, in fact I love working out! But I'd rather do it to be fit and healthy, than to have a perfect body, or just because someone tells me to!

After moving to the USA, I had gained 8 kgs again, because, think about it, I am a student! I wake up and go to class early and I come back home late night. I don't get time to cook or exercise, and I only do them on the weekends. So basically, I cook and exercise two days a week. I hope you guys understand! So far no one commented on my weight, but when I go back home, I am pretty sure people are going to comment! So before they say something to me, I am going to shut everyone up in advance and tell them to STOP BODY-SHAMING!

I hope you guys don't get offended, I just felt I needed to say this! I think its time that people stop body-shaming! Let's be kinder and more supportive!