When people think of thin they think of the skinny models that strut the cat-walk in today’s fashion industry, and when they think of obese they think of someone who sits on their ass and eats McDonalds for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In a most recent article, I read about a size 22 model getting signed with a major modeling agency and in another, a plus-sized model being the first ever featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, people’s responses were ridiculous. Just reading the comment section made me red with anger, saying things like “Fat Pig” and “So unhealthy” and “How unattractive.”

It made me think; who are you to judge this person by how they look? But then I remembered that it’s how we are as a society, that we have made it OK to poke fun at people who aren’t considered “normal.” But it’s not just the obese people who are targeted, it’s the people who are skinny, too. People say things like “You’re anorexic” and, “Looks like you need a twinkie.”

How is this acceptable? How is shaming people for their bodies acceptable? But another question is why does it really matter to the people who make those demeaning comments? How is it affecting the way they live their personal lives? I say if you don’t like it, don’t look at it, don’t read the article, it’s as simple as that. We are apart of an ever-evolving technological world, and with the click of a button we can unfollow, unfriend or delete things we don’t like or agree with. Certain things appeal to certain people, but they need to think about what they are saying and put themselves in that persons shoes, maybe it’s not as easy as you would think.

Maybe that person you think is “fat” works out every day and eats a healthy diet. Maybe they are bigger because of their DNA, because being big boned and having a curvier figure runs in their family? The same way being skinny and having a slim figure runs in someone else's family, and maybe that person works out and eats a healthy diet with the hopes of gaining weight.

It has always baffled me as to why people shamed others for the way that they look, as if they have the power to change their figures and shapes of their bodies. I think that as women, we should empower one another to love ourselves the way we are and the way we were made. Different people like different things and you should always know that no matter what, someone out there somewhere will like you. You will be what they are looking for and you will be enough.

Lastly, there are people who think certain lifestyles are healthy and then there are those who think certain lifestyles are unhealthy, but what about those of us who are stuck in the middle? What about the third side of the story? Those of us who are partial and annoyed with all of the body shaming comments people post and say? Do we even get an opinion, or do we just choose to not voice it?