Nothing bothers me more than scrolling through my Instagram feed and coming across a photo that is hashtagged '#Fatkini' or '#TheBiggerTheBetter' or '#LoveMyCurves'.
Don't get me wrong, I love that people that lack the picture perfect body shape are comfortable with their bodies or are they?
Does it ever cross your mind that maybe these people are posting these photos because they aren't comfortable with their bodies and because they are looking for the approval they need? They are just waiting behind their screen for someone to comment, "I love this!" or "you go girl!" just so they can look in the mirror later and not feel quite as bad about what they see.
The truth is, underneath the makeup they are wearing and the clothes they are promoting, their face is broken out because they aren't healthy, their knees hurt from the extra weight, they haven't been to the gym in 2 years, they can't keep up with their kids, and their curves are screaming from the laced-up corset underneath their shirt. Maybe these people are comfortable with the skin they are in, and I hope for their sake that they are, but chances are they aren't.
Let's look at it from another point of view.
Imagine you are battling an eating disorder. You are struggling to eat, you can't gain weight, you're pale, your hair is falling out, and people are starting to notice. How would you feel if you constantly saw people promoting having the weight that you just can't seem to find? You don't see these people posting on Instagram with #SkinnyIsInny or #SkinnierIsPrettier and you shouldn't be posting about your curves either.
Don't get me wrong. I'm tall, athletic, thick thighed (thanks dad), and decently curvy buy you will never find me promoting my size or my weight and you will never ever see me bragging about my body type. Sure, I'll post a picture in a bikini or laying by the pool with friends but talking about my size is not something you will find in the caption.
It's time for women to focus on being strong rather than promoting being over-weight. Wouldn't you much rather have someone comment on your amazing quads and rounded glutes than congratulating you for snapping a picture of your cellulite?
There are plenty of ways to be comfortable with your body without talking about it in the public's eye. Wear your most flattering jeans to a restaurant, strut your stuff in your cheeky bathing suit bottoms at the pool, wear tight leggings to the gym, but never promote your size, simply because you don't know what battles the people that are seeing your #Fatkini photo are fighting.
So, remember ladies: Curvy is in, promoting it isn't. Cellulite is natural, posting pictures of it isn't. Stretch marks are proof that your body has grown and changed or maybe even supported another life but talking about them will not make the stretch marks fade. Just keep in mind that your cry for a confidence boost may be someone else's breaking point. Don't be the reason they break.