Body Shaming

Hi!

I'm sure you've heard of the current hit "All About That Bass" which has been causing controversy throughout pop culture.  Some have seen it as a body love anthem, and others are seeing its more problematic aspects.  Firstly, the song has terrible misogynistic themes which tell a girl that her worth is determined by how much "booty" a boy can hold.  So not okay.  But that isn't what I want to talk about.  The issue that I would like to discuss is the debate which has been sparked over fat shaming and skinny shaming.

Many plus-sized people have been making statements about skinny people needing to stop complaining about the song's reference to "skinny bitches" because they are the most adored body shape in the media.  Which, sure, is feasible.  Plus-sized people are constantly torn to pieces over their weight and shape - again, so not okay. However, as a person who has been horribly underweight since I suffered from pneumonia as a baby, body shaming and glorification have both hit me hard.  Doctors have laughed in my face when they've seen my weight and height.  I can't count on 2, 3, 4 or 5 hands how many times I have been accused of having an eating disorder (which is a mental illness that isn't always noticeable by weight!!!!) by both doctors and friends alike.  I've been told "Just eat food!" so many times that it knocks me sick - if you've seen me with a box of chicken nuggets you'll know how much I love to eat - yet no matter how much I do my weight drops.  However, I've also been told that people are jealous of my weight?  Jealous of being 6 stone at 15 years old (which is only just on the growth/height charts)?  Jealous of protruding ribs and hip bones? Jealous of numerous doctor's appointments per month because your body catches every illness under the sun?
Do you know what it's like to have your meals monitored and weight checked twice a day - BY YOURSELF?

Well, yeah, you probably do.  This is the thing, I don't grow angry at the people that say these things to me, because in no way is it their fault.  They have been taught by our society that this kind of body is desirable.  An unhealthy one.  One despised by every doctor. Is desirable. Makes no sense, does it?

Anyway, regarding my original point.  We do not need to be comparing the different kinds of body shaming, because that's only going to hurt us more.  We need to be fighting the system.  We need to be teaching young people to love their bodies - ALL OF THEM! We need to revert this idea that one body type is better than the other, because our bodies cause all of us grief, but we can change that if we work together to bring the love of all bodies into our society. Not the comparison.

Tabitha x