"You're pretty for a big girl." Ah, yes. Please continue complimenting me while emphasizing the largest flaw about me: my body.
In case you haven't noticed, I am indeed a young, plus-size girl. Sometimes, I hate it, and other times, I am confident in my own body. I feel as though I work harder to achieve and express my style, as do other beautiful, plus-size women, and we are left with the same backhanded compliments.
I take it offensively when I get comments saying that I am "pretty for a fat/big girl," because it implies that I am valued less for my body type. I did not know beauty only came in certain sizes. According to society, they do.
Have you ever heard of the body positivity movement? It is a grand movement to accept all bodies of all types and sizes, not just those that are known to us through the media. Eff Your Beauty Standards was a campaign started by plus-size model, Tess Holliday. You could follow the famous Instagram page @EffYourBeautyStandards and see representation of all types of body figures.
Holliday and many other body positive advocates inspire me each and every day. It warms my heart to see that girls have someone to look up to and relate to. When I was growing up, the only standard of beauty was "skinny" and if you weren't, you were shamed and destined to hide your body and face. Now, I am glad we are beginning to see things differently.
Myth: Body positivity promotes unhealthy behaviors.
It makes my blood boil to see people assume that being body positive means that you are encouraging obesity. This is not the case at all. Body positivity only means accepting and loving your body the way it is. Whether or not someone wants to change their body is completely up to them, and no one should ever put their two cents in about someone else's body. Let me be happy for who I am.
Myth: Body positivity advocates hate towards skinny people.
This is far from true. We encourage loving ourselves and one another no matter what size. Plus-size individuals are oppressed in comparison to those thinner than us. We receive all of the hate from society and are put down for not being picture perfect Barbies. You too, should love yourself.
Myth: Body positivity only applies to women.
Many people forget that body image affects men as well. I know guys who expressed that they have felt down about themselves because of their bodies. They should love themselves and be able to openly express their feelings. Just because you're male it doesn't mean you have to follow the masculine figure that society has painted for you. Everyone has feelings. It's what makes us human.
Just remember the one thing that the media always seems to forget—all bodies are beautiful, especially yours. No one but yourself can convince you that you are worth being loved inside and out. Eff Their Beauty Standards.
