Women grow up being self-conscious about their body for many reasons. The one problem everyone addresses is how everyone weight shames those who are bigger than the average model. No one likes to be put down or told that their body type isn’t good enough for everyone’s standards. So we teach our children to love their bodies no matter the size. We start the my big is beautiful movement, we make a ton of reality shows glamourizing how some people are happy with their weight, but at the same time we forget about those not of bigger stature. While we tell our children that it’s okay not to look like the models or TVpersonas we grow up watching, we forget to tell them that it’s okay if we do.

I’m sorry to say, but what if this movement is actually causing more problems we are overlooking? While we are promoting healthy body, healthy living, and loving who we are, we only promote those of bigger weights. We want to change Barbie because the average woman can’t look like that, we make movies that show big girls having fun, we want models to have a certain weight and weigh in so that we know they’re healthy, but the fact is isn’t this all just a detrimental as saying your big isn’t beautiful? We’re bringing up our children in a society that can only love one weight range by hating the other. I’ll explain what I mean. We change Barbie so that she has curves, but what about the girls who don’t? We make movies showing big girls, but we down the girls who weigh less in the same movie. We want to have a weigh in for healthy weighing models and making them bigger, but how is any different from saying they have to/need to be smaller?

I’m going to tell everyone reading this my experiences and some things you might not even know about me if you know me personally. I am a small girl. Like really tiny. I’m 22 about to be 23 this year and I’m below the average standards of girls my age in every way possible. I’m 5 feet and ¾ of an inch tall (I usually round to 5’ 1) and I weigh a solid 90 pounds. The sad part is that fluctuates between 85-95 with me gaining and losing weight constantly without me trying. Everyone who knows me knows that I love to eat. In fact, eating is probably my favorite activity. I’ve tried to gain weight (I’ve even taken vitamins) and nothing. I just have a high metabolism I guess.

The bad thing is I close myself off because of it. Because I’m so small, people feel the need to constantly remind me of just how abnormally small I am. Like thanks bro, I totally forgot what my body looked like and I needed your reminder. People need to realize that if you wouldn’t like me going up to you and poking your stomach and arms saying "oh my gosh. Girl, you are so fat. You need to lose some weight," then it’s not acceptable for you to touch me and say "you’re too skinny. You need some meat on your bones." The fact is in either one of these instances we were not using the other’s weight as a compliment. You weren’t saying you’re thin and you look good the same way I wasn’t saying you’re big and you’re beautiful. We tend to overlook things we do to those of smaller stature that if it was done to someone bigger we would get upset about. If I can’t comment negatively on your weight, then you shouldn’t be able to comment negatively on mine.

I love Victoria’s Secret and I love those models and the fashion show and if I was taller…I’d totally try out. However, I honestly dread getting on Facebook when it comes on. I hate the rude comments that people make about the models. The truth is, if you even cared enough to find out, those models are healthy and they’re basically athletes. Those wings they wear are heavy and leave bruises, they train constantly to be on that stage, and those bodies come from hard work and dedication. So who are you to weight shame them because you’re unhappy with yourself.

I honestly believe that’s why we are hard on the opposite weight ourselves. How can we be happy for someone else or be proud of them if we can’t recognize that in ourselves? If you can’t love yourself then you can’t love anyone else and that type of mindset is not good for anyone. To make my point clear, I have nothing against the opposite weight and I think your big is beautiful. However, I just want you to realize that my thin can be beautiful too.