I feel deeply saddened when I hear a young girl call herself fat. Honestly, not even just girls, it's little boys, too. As I was working one day, a co-worker shared a story with me. Her 8-year-old daughter didn't want to wear a two-piece swimming suit because of her belly. Her daughter is average size for her age. There is no reason for her to be shaming herself, or anyone her age.

A few years back, I was a manager at a major retail chain. We focused on making sure everyone had an amazing experience and found something they looked great in. I absolutely loved what I did. I have \ many stories about how women, and even men, love themselves just a little more. But one story really stuck with me.

I had only been manager a few months and I was closing with an associate. I had worked a long day, and it was heading towards a breaking point. I was crashing, and this older woman walked in with a girl. The girl seemed like she was maybe early teens, so I greeted them as normal: I asked if I could help them, told them the sales and made small talk. Something in me wanted to just keep talking to them, but I figured I should walk away. I was good at what I did and knew when to walk away and when to come back. Once they warmed up to me, we had a great time. I could tell the girl wasn't comfortable a couple times in a few pieces, so I would pull other ones. I spent nearly two hours with just these two.

When the girl was changing out of one of the last outfits, the mother pulled me aside. She told me her daughter was 13, and wanted to thank me for everything I had done. I told her it was no problem, it was my job and I loved selling clothes to make people feel better. It was her next statement that I started to cry. Her daughter had been bullied at school and if I remember correctly they pulled her out. This poor, teenage girl thought she was too fat and too ugly. I just wanted to run to her and hold her. She was beautiful and wearing a size 10, which were still a little big. I had to talk her down from a size 13, which she thought she wore. The girl told her mom how much she liked me and wanted to be like me, because I was a pretty nice girl. I could cry telling you this story, but I'm telling it for a reason.

Body insecurity is a problem that society has created. I am one of the most self-conscious people I know. But most people have no idea. I don't let it show because I have a lot of pride. I tell these stories and feel this strongly because everyone should know they are beautiful. We were all built differently. We have different skin tones, hair color, eye color, face structures, body builds and features. Why at 8 and 13 are these girls so insecure about their bodies?

I am still very close with most of my college roommates. Senior year, I had the best chance to live with my little and someone who is now a very good friend. We were all three very different in bodies, and we all go about it different ways. Our friend is small but works out regularly. She's a runner and has a natural drive to better her body. She wants to be a bodybuilder. My little has no drive, and is comfortable how she is. That's great, in my opinion. I didn't have a natural drive, but had come to enjoy eating better and working out. I am slowly on a journey to a healthier life. But we wanted the best for each other and never once shamed or allowed another one of us to be. One of our friends never thought she looked right, but she looks amazing! We always told her when we saw her progressive results.

In fact, we still are active in our group's message. It has been a hot topic in recent weeks. There was a Calvin Klein ad for their first plus-size model. That plus size model wore a size 4 or 6. That's plus size?! The week before, an article was released stating the new "plus size" in America is a size 10. I am not about the saying "Zero is not a size." The reality is, 0 is a size just like 4, 8, 10, 18, 20 and 24. They are all sizes. The common size in America for a woman is a size 10, How is that now considered plus size?! Why is "plus size" even a thing? That is degrading and embarrassing to these women. As my little stated, "In t-shirts I am a medium, other shirts I'm an XL. It has nothing to do with the size name. It's the brand, material and fit."

This happens in males, too. There is a constant demand in our society to have all of your bones showing. I am sorry, but even in my fit life, I enjoy eating cheeseburgers, chicken and food in general far too much for that. You don't have to be that small. You just have to be healthy. There is no size to healthy.

Watch what you say about how you look, because you never know who is listening. One day, it could be your 3-year old daughter or son calling themselves fat, because that's what mommy or daddy said.