For many people, being skinny has always been an unattainable dream. Losing weight doesn’t come easy, and it seems the thought of being skinny will never become a reality. There are also people who are bigger and don’t necessarily see the desire to be skinny. Some even resent those who are skinny, and with that, they shame those people.
And then you have girls like me. Girls who have always been, and always will be, skinny. Girls who can eat 10 meals a day without gaining a pound. Girls who dream to be curvy in all those “womanly” places, but just can’t seem to put on any more meat. Girls who are equally as offended when they are skinny shamed as those who are fat shamed.
It’s no secret that society pushes the image of a tall, thin girl. From Kendall Jenner to Naomi Campbell, skinny models are the face of almost everything. We all know this. And yes, it may be aggravating when you are bigger and just want to see girls of your own size for once modeling Victoria Secret lingerie. I understand that. But at what point did it turn into having to blame and bash all girls who wear a size small? Can’t we just blame society for pushing this image and making no apparent change in encouraging girls and women of all sizes? This isn't our fault, it's their fault.
If you’re like me, someone who didn’t even wear women’s size clothes until college (I now vary between sizes 2-4), you’ve probably been skinny shamed for as long as you can remember. On the regular, I get told, “You need a cheeseburger.” First things first, I’m a vegetarian, so no, I will not eat a cheeseburger. Secondly, I don’t need to eat a cheeseburger just because I’m smaller than you. We’re not the same size, and that’s OK. And third, I probably eat just as much as you do, if not more because my metabolism is extremely fast. I could go through a five course meal and still be hungry afterward; I seriously cannot help that.
People tend to automatically associate skinny with unhealthy. Yes, I’m small. No, that doesn’t mean I skip any meals. Obesity is just as much of an eating disorder as anorexia nervosa. Just because someone is fat, that doesn’t mean that I assume they have an eating disorder, so please don’t jump to this conclusion about me because I am skinny. People actually think they’re complimenting my figure by telling me, “You’re so tiny, you’re like anorexic.” On what level is that OK? How could I take that as a compliment?
There are not only girls and women, but boys and men as well who suffer from anorexia. Would you want someone to say to you, “You’re so big, you’re like obese.” No one would ever want their healthy figure to be compared to someone diagnosed with an eating disorder. Comments like this are part of the reason that pushes someone to have an eating disorder. If you make ignorant and rude comments about someone’s physique, it will get to their head and have a serious consequence.
Terms like “twig” or “toothpick” aren’t OK to use either. Imagine what a twig or a toothpick looks like in your head right now. Would you want to be compared to these objects? Absolutely not. You also wouldn’t go up to a fat person and say, "You remind me of a cow," now would you? These name callings are brutal, no matter which way they are used. It’s rude, and it’s uncalled for. Chances are, your opinion wasn’t asked about my body type, so keep it to yourself.
One of the most hurtful things that is often said of a skinny person is, “They have the body of a 12-year-old.” No. No, no, no. They have the body of whatever age they are. Saying this would mean all 12-year-olds are subjected to the same body type, and they certainly are not. Your body type is your body type, no matter what age you are. I know older women, moms included, who are the same size as I am, even sometimes smaller. I know young teenagers who have bigger breasts and butt than I do; they just developed fuller than I did. That doesn’t make me any less of a woman or any more of looking like a child.
If you look up the term “woman,” you will find the definition to say “an adult female.” In no dictionary will you find the definition of woman to be accompanied by any specific body type or any certain look at all. A woman is not defined by her curves, her boobs or her butt. If a woman wears a 32A bra or a size 0 in jeans, she is equally as much of a woman as someone with that voluptuous Kardashian figure. This type of body shaming shouldn't be on us, it should be on the famous artists who publicly humiliate women, and make them feel less womanly. Can we all just take a minute to remember Nicki Minaj's infamous single "Anaconda," where she repeats "F*ck the skinny bitches in the club." We most likely would never hear an artist chant this the other way around, so why is that OK?
I am, by no means, against or bitter toward those who have a fuller body. In fact, I truly wish I looked that way. I have always, and probably always will, desire to have that sexy J-Lo figure. But as I’ve entered my 20s, I realize my body will never change, and that’s something I’ve grown to accept. I believe every woman should empower each other and make one another feel good about their bodies, no matter what shape or size. No two should be compared. No one should be told they’re too fat. And just as equally as that, no one should be told they need a cheeseburger. Especially my fellow vegetarians.
