I can not tell you how many times people have talked about my weight. I am 5' 3" and weigh about 104 pounds. I am skinny. I always have been. I go to the doctor's office every year to get an annual check up and every time he tells me I am healthy. Yet, if I were to look at a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator, it would tell me that I am underweight. There are many people who agree with the calculator and say that I need to "eat more" and "gain a little more weight." What people don't understand, though, is that I do eat. A lot.
Just because I'm skinny, that doesn't mean that I am starving myself or constantly hitting the gym to burn off all the calories I ate for the day. Here's the truth: I eat like a pig and I don't really exercise. People often respond to this by saying that I'm so lucky, that's it unfair or that I'm gloating about it.
Often times when someone says something about my weight I end up laughing it off and try to quickly change the subject. However, those words still stick with me. Any time that someone says something to me about my weight, I immediately become self-conscious. I know what you're thinking: You're skinny, what could you possibly be self-conscious about? Being skinny doesn't mean that my body is perfect and that's okay.
Here are a few things that I think people should know. I'm not anorexic nor have I ever been. I don't have an eating disorder. I don't starve myself or refrain from eating what I want to eat. I don't diet. I don't need to eat more. I don't exercise every single day (unless you count the walk to the fridge). Sometimes you can see my spinal cord but that doesn't mean there's an issue. Thank you for your concern about my health and well-being. I truly do appreciate it but know that I'm not going to change no matter what you say to me about my weight.
Okay, now that I've gotten that all out, let's talk a little bit about body shaming, shall we?
I don't want it to sound like I am complaining about being skinny because I'm not. I try my hardest to love my body for how it is, but that's hard to do when it's constantly under a microscope. Body shaming is the practice of making critical, potentially humiliating comments about a person's body size or weight. Body shaming isn't projected solely toward those who may weigh more. When someone tells me that I'm too skinny or that I'm just meat and bones, that's body shaming and it needs to stop.
People tell me that since I'm skinny I can't complain about weight and body shaming. That's bull crap. No person should be made to feel bad about their body. Ever body is different and unique and that should be celebrated.
All bodies are beautiful.
