You say you want a revolution
There is an epidemic that is growing in this country.
Some strains are affecting more than others, and some people are not even aware they are infected. It could infect just one person, or it could spread without any means of control. One thing is for certain, though. It's everywhere.
Body shaming. We are programmed to think that some measure of this is okay, and none of it is. It is not restricted to size or sex. There are men and women all over this country looking at themselves in the mirror and making a mental list of things they want to change. There are women whispering about what each other is wearing, and men saying "he could never get that girl" because she's "out of his league." It needs to stop, and we are the ones to stop it.
I do this myself, and until I started reading body positive articles, I honestly did not realize how guilty I was. Sure, I knew that I wasn't always confident in my body. But it can be something as small as saying "I feel fat." Fat is not a way to feel, and it should not be viewed as a negative word. Neither is "you look skinny in that." Fat and skinny. Why should one word be better than the other? Why should we strive for one and hate the other? Are they not both merely adjectives? I have friends who are tall. I have friends who are short. I have friends who are blonde, brunette, redhead, and everything in between. Just like their varying hair colors and height, my friends are also of varying weights. Why should that matter any more than whether they are blonde or brunette? It shouldn't.
I have seen these slogans that say "all bodies are good bodies" and "healthy at any size." I realize that health comes in to play, and some people have even retorted this slogan with such comments. There are extremes with anything, and health problems on both ends of the spectrum is something to be aware of. However, that is not what this slogan is all about. It is about stopping the shaming of people's bodies. People come in all shapes and sizes and always have, but society has made standards throughout the years of what is a "good body" or "the perfect body." My body is perfect because it is what it is. I have a friend that weighs roughly 130 pounds. Her body is perfect because it is what it is. All bodies are good bodies. Do they always work right? No. I would argue about have a "good" body when my feet ache and my knees hurt. Every body has its little quirks, that's why no two people are made the same. But, that does not make one "good" over the other. All bodies are good bodies. All bodies should be admired and appreciated. All bodies are beautiful bodies.
So, stop fat shaming. Stop skinny shaming. We are the ones that can stop this. I lived for three years with girls who were significantly smaller than I was. When we would go out places or all hang out together, I never felt like less. I never felt like I wasn't pretty just because I was the "fat friend," because they never made me feel that way. They just saw Katie, all of me, and that's the way it should be. I also have someone very close to me that has heard cracks about his weight for a lot of his life. He takes it well, but he has told me it hurts sometimes. He is one of the toughest men I know, but he is also one of the most caring, and he should not think there is anything wrong with his body just because he is not thin and trim. We shouldn't see someone's size. And no, I am not saying to love someone in spite of their size, or even because of their size. Just love THEM. Period.
Just because someone is fat doesn't mean they are unhealthy or frumpy, and just because someone is skinny doesn't mean they are a bitch or a douche or a health nut.
I read an article yesterday about a wonderful photographer that is helping to spread body positivity by taking a series of photographs of women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. The women are nude in a bed of flowers with strategically-placed petals. The series is meant to challenge the idea of "American Beauty." May we all strive to challenge standards with such confidence.
There is no shame in your body. Show it off, strut your stuff. Love it. Embrace it. Treat it with respect and care. We are all going to have those days where we don't feel our best, when we don't feel up to par. Self love is not an easy journey. I am taking little steps myself to love my body more. When I am not sure if something will look good on me, I try it on anyway. I am consciously trying to stop myself from using the word fat in a negative manner, and to keep myself from using terms of jealousy when talking about people thinner or fitter than I. I may not be doing it intentionally, but I am still spreading the disease.
I am a redhead. I have freckles. I am medium height. And...I am fat.
Some strains are affecting more than others, and some people are not even aware they are infected. It could infect just one person, or it could spread without any means of control. One thing is for certain, though. It's everywhere.
Body shaming. We are programmed to think that some measure of this is okay, and none of it is. It is not restricted to size or sex. There are men and women all over this country looking at themselves in the mirror and making a mental list of things they want to change. There are women whispering about what each other is wearing, and men saying "he could never get that girl" because she's "out of his league." It needs to stop, and we are the ones to stop it.
I do this myself, and until I started reading body positive articles, I honestly did not realize how guilty I was. Sure, I knew that I wasn't always confident in my body. But it can be something as small as saying "I feel fat." Fat is not a way to feel, and it should not be viewed as a negative word. Neither is "you look skinny in that." Fat and skinny. Why should one word be better than the other? Why should we strive for one and hate the other? Are they not both merely adjectives? I have friends who are tall. I have friends who are short. I have friends who are blonde, brunette, redhead, and everything in between. Just like their varying hair colors and height, my friends are also of varying weights. Why should that matter any more than whether they are blonde or brunette? It shouldn't.
I have seen these slogans that say "all bodies are good bodies" and "healthy at any size." I realize that health comes in to play, and some people have even retorted this slogan with such comments. There are extremes with anything, and health problems on both ends of the spectrum is something to be aware of. However, that is not what this slogan is all about. It is about stopping the shaming of people's bodies. People come in all shapes and sizes and always have, but society has made standards throughout the years of what is a "good body" or "the perfect body." My body is perfect because it is what it is. I have a friend that weighs roughly 130 pounds. Her body is perfect because it is what it is. All bodies are good bodies. Do they always work right? No. I would argue about have a "good" body when my feet ache and my knees hurt. Every body has its little quirks, that's why no two people are made the same. But, that does not make one "good" over the other. All bodies are good bodies. All bodies should be admired and appreciated. All bodies are beautiful bodies.
So, stop fat shaming. Stop skinny shaming. We are the ones that can stop this. I lived for three years with girls who were significantly smaller than I was. When we would go out places or all hang out together, I never felt like less. I never felt like I wasn't pretty just because I was the "fat friend," because they never made me feel that way. They just saw Katie, all of me, and that's the way it should be. I also have someone very close to me that has heard cracks about his weight for a lot of his life. He takes it well, but he has told me it hurts sometimes. He is one of the toughest men I know, but he is also one of the most caring, and he should not think there is anything wrong with his body just because he is not thin and trim. We shouldn't see someone's size. And no, I am not saying to love someone in spite of their size, or even because of their size. Just love THEM. Period.
Just because someone is fat doesn't mean they are unhealthy or frumpy, and just because someone is skinny doesn't mean they are a bitch or a douche or a health nut.
I read an article yesterday about a wonderful photographer that is helping to spread body positivity by taking a series of photographs of women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. The women are nude in a bed of flowers with strategically-placed petals. The series is meant to challenge the idea of "American Beauty." May we all strive to challenge standards with such confidence.
There is no shame in your body. Show it off, strut your stuff. Love it. Embrace it. Treat it with respect and care. We are all going to have those days where we don't feel our best, when we don't feel up to par. Self love is not an easy journey. I am taking little steps myself to love my body more. When I am not sure if something will look good on me, I try it on anyway. I am consciously trying to stop myself from using the word fat in a negative manner, and to keep myself from using terms of jealousy when talking about people thinner or fitter than I. I may not be doing it intentionally, but I am still spreading the disease.
I am a redhead. I have freckles. I am medium height. And...I am fat.