Before you continue reading my article, I want to make it clear that I am not attacking or singling out any specific person or type of people.

Body shaming, in all forms, needs to end, but more than ever, women, girls, boys and men are constantly tearing apart female bodies for being skinny. But for what reason? Why is it necessary to make fun of someone, or put someone down solely because they are a 00, 0, or 2 and you are not? I am a woman and I am proud to be a 0. I am healthy and happy with my shape. This is my body and after many years of undergoing bullying for being “too skinny”, I have learned to love the way I look.

I am not anorexic. I do not think that I need to remain this skinny nor do I think I am fat. I run and workout every day to stay fit, not to lose weight. For many years, family and peers would crack jokes that I was anorexic. I felt awful about the way I looked and hated myself for being skinny. Why was I like this? Why do I naturally have “thigh gap”? What was I doing wrong? I tried so hard to gain weight by manipulating my diet and I fell into a vicious cycle that I couldn’t get out of. I wanted to be like “everyone else”. I wanted to "fit in", but I was destroying my health doing so.

I do not starve myself. I am an athlete and I would not be running D1 Cross Country if I was starving myself. I love to eat and I eat all the time. But what I eat, when I eat and how much I eat at one time, is none of anyone's concern. People would “joke around” and tell me to “eat something”, implying that I never do, when in reality, I simply wasn’t hungry for a large meal that day. I eat when I am hungry. I do not eat just because it is “lunchtime”. I know what and how much food I am putting in my body and how to keep a balanced diet.

At the end of the day, people need to worry about their own bodies and their own health and stop worrying about everyone else’s lifestyle. Putting down women who are skinny does not make you any better. I understand that body shaming is an issue for ALL body types, but I know what it’s like to experience skinny shaming and I am tired of seeing young girls being put down because of their small size. So before you make a comment about a female being “too skinny”, think about how your words could affect her. Think about your own body and health first. Embrace your size and love the way you look before being concerned about someone else’s body.

It took me way too long to love the way I look. If you have been picked on because of your small size, ignore the comments. Your body size has nothing to do with anyone else's life. Never feel like you have to life up to a standard.