One of the easiest targets when talking about a person is their size. People love commenting on the fact that perhaps a person is too skinny, or way too fat. Sometimes girls are curvy, where as other times they are described as looking like a board. Some women might be buff and others look scrawny. Tall, short, thick, thin, lanky, beefy, colossal, stout, teensy, obese, hefty, big-boned, the list goes on. Although people are talked about or even made fun of for their size, there have been many campaigns that accept and support different sets of body types. We have made breakthroughs in support and acceptance, I believe there are a few areas that we can work on to truly make the idea of accepting body diversity a reality.

The idea of being "plus size"

I think it is absolutely wonderful that we are celebrating woman who fit into "plus size." There are "plus size" models that are praised and "plus size" sections in stores. Campaigns have made people realize that all women are beautiful. Some campaigns, for example, are #ImNoAngel, #curvesinbikinis, #effyourbeautystandards, #goldenconfidence, #fatgirlsbewinning being spread all over today's media. In fact, there are many other movements that display women who are "plus sized" and how utterly stunning they are. Women are being accepted for who they are and the movements display that beauty can also come in larger sizes. The issue at hand is the fact that these women are labeled "plus sized." The idea that these women are larger than, an addition to, or extra than a size is completely ridiculous. The newer hashtag movements do not have the words "plus size" in them, but the foundation to these movements have viewed the women as "above" what size is. Every person is a size, how is it possible that they are above a size? The fact is they are not. The idea of being "plus size" needs to stop and the other movements should come forward showing that women who are larger are a normal size, not that they have something additional.

"Zero is not a size"

I first came across the phrase "zero is not a size" when watching "One Tree Hill" (one of my all time favorite shows). When I watched Millie come out with a shirt saying, zero is not a size during one of Brooke Davis' fashion shows, I was so proud and was even more supportive of the show and all of the characters. However, my views slightly changed when I realized that I am a size zero. I love eating greasy burgers, fries, cheese, doughnuts, and I also enjoy healthy greens and protein. I freaking love food. I am a size zero and have a pretty balanced diet. Recently, women who are skinnier have finally gotten the recognition they deserve, that they too are beautiful. We have seen extremely skinny girls on the runway, in fashion magazines and usually view these women as being unhealthy. The fact of the matter is, just because you are a size zero, does not mean that you do not eat food and that you are unhealthy. There have been many campaigns against the smaller sizes, and shaming is not the way to fix a problem. Zero is a size that society has constructed, and many other women along with myself are healthily a size zero. The problem is not with the campaign "zero is not a size," the problem is the foundation of the size charts. It seems contradictory because for me, zero is my size, but zero means nothing at all, zilch, none. Every person is a size, so how is it possible that a girl who has a small waist is nothing? Let me assure you, I am not nothing. The problem is the word zero itself, and that needs to be fixed.

Bodies are diverse, bodies are beautiful. There have been many stigmatizations about larger girls being obese, and skinny girls being anorexic or bulimic, but a majority of the time women are their size and shape because it's who they are. Bodies need to be celebrated and accepted as diverse, not for the size they are. We have made a leap toward accepting women for who they are, nevertheless I believe that to truly accept the diversity of our bodies, we have to change our sizing chart. There is no such thing as women having a zero waste and there is no such thing as women being over a certain size. You are the size that you are and you are beautiful.