My weight is an issue that I have struggled with for pretty much my entire life. This most definitely owes itself to my genetics (thanks mom and dad!) — both of my parents were also extremely thin in their youth. That, however, doesn't stop them from constantly commenting about my weight and criticizing me for "not eating enough." Every time I come home from college, I don't anticipate an immediate greeting but rather some rendition of, "Look how thin she has gotten! She doesn't eat at college!"

Some individuals just have really fast metabolisms, they can eat all they want and never gain weight. It is both a blessing and a curse, TBH. I personally LOVE eating. It's definitely an outlet for me when I'm stressed or upset (which is pretty much all the time).

Of course, people who don't know you will make ignorant judgments and assumptions. One of my worst experiences is when I was out shopping with my older sister, and we had accidentally bumped into a group of rather pesky high school girls. Minor words of anger were exchanged and we separated ways, until about 20 minutes later when they returned to scream insults at a distance.

"Anorexic bitches."

"Stupid anorexic bitches."

"We should say something," I pleaded, tugging at my sister's sleeve.

"Leave it. Ignore them."

But why did we stay quiet? Why did these girls think they had a right to pass such rude comments about our bodies? Why should this ever be tolerated? Why should I say nothing while people wrap their hands around my wrist and gape at it? When I get asked all the time if I "ever eat"?

I am aware of the fact that skinny bodies are worshipped in the beauty and fashion industry. But that doesn't mean that individuals with this type of body are immune to body shaming. All it takes is a trip to an Instagram page of some supermodel to be a first-hand witness to skinny-shaming. Kaia Gerber, for instance, is an incredibly beautiful and talented 17-year-old supermodel, yet so many comments on her posts revolve around her body.

Apparently, she is "freakishly skinny," "needs to eat a hamburger," and worst of all, "looks anorexic." "Anorexic" is not and never should be a synonym for the term "skinny" - anorexia is a debilitating eating disorder with very serious health implications. Despite this, it is still thrown around as an insult so frequently. Too frequently.

Now, I'm not saying that skinny-shaming is as prevalent as fat-shaming. Thin individuals definitely have some form of privilege over other individuals. The clothing industry practically caters to us and we can get away with a lot of things others would be criticized for. However, skinny-shaming has very evidently built up a tolerance and it is crucial for some light to be shed on the issue. Just like some people have trouble losing weight, others have trouble with gaining weight. It really is not a hard concept to grasp.

For a while, I felt very insecure about my body. I hated how skinny my limbs were and how I looked standing next to my friends. I looked into vitamin supplements and even started drinking Ensure (which always made me throw up), before realizing that I was just doing this to please other people. I am healthy, my weight is healthy, and most of all I am happy with my body. And no one has the right to try to take that away from me.

All individuals, regardless of their weight, should be allowed to feel comfortable in their own skin.