Love Your Body

Do you know what has really pissed me off lately? The media and society looking negatively on skinny or healthy people.

Disclaimer, I know eating disorders suck, this isn't about that. This is referring to when people who are naturally skinny, or just generally healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle are ridiculed over their appearance and size.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last month you've probably heard the songs 'All About That Bass' by Meghan Trainor and 'Anaconda' by Nicki Minaj. The two songs have become hugely popular internationally and although both differ in terms of style and genre they share one notable similarity, they both contain an aspect of skinny-shaming. Now, I acknowledge that Trainor's song is overall spreading a positive message about image perception and encouraging women to welcome their body shapes, but why does this have to be done in an approach that includes mocking those who do not fit their concept of what is beautiful?

One of the songs in question.

Minaj on the other hand I feel is just being controversial for the sake of selling albums and her outspokenness is one of the least things to worry about. I mean have you seen that video? It could revive the dead.

Both songs address 'skinny bitches'. There's a mindset nowadays, that somehow justifies slim people receiving rude insults thrown at them regarding their size and in this case personality. Talk about stereotypes overload. Newsflash: bitches come in all shapes and sizes, heavy girls can be bitches too.

We really need to take our focus off body shape or appearance and towards being happy and healthy. I'm as guilty as anyone for objectifying myself and seeing my body and appearance as an object to be worked upon to fit ideals of attractiveness.

How come in modern culture heavier girls are encouraged to celebrate their curves and love their insecurities but thin girls aren't permitted to love their bones and embrace their self-doubts? Log into any social media site and you will most likely see some silly photograph belittling someone's self esteem or body image. How is it acceptable telling skinny girls to go eat a burger but it's not okay to do the same to a photograph of a fat girl and telling her to go eat a carrot? Because to me, I fail to see the difference. People need to recognise that titles like anorexic twig or skeleton are just as insulting as calling someone fat.

As men and women we should be able to love our bodies, love our bones, love our curves, love our feckin' overgrown toenails if needs be, love what makes us ourselves.

Count your blessings not your blemishes, walk with your head held high supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person no matter what your body shape is. We are all different, let it be and accept diversity. The impact of words should never be underestimated, think before you speak.