"You're So Thin! - Here, Have a Burger!" | Weight & Body Image

 Image: WeHeartIt

We all know how much pressure is put on girls these days to look a certain way - there's no getting away from the fact that us females get the shit end of the stick when it comes to what we look like. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are conscious of what we look like, what we're wearing, and what other people think to a certain extent. I'm a massive fan of glossy magazines - I love to see what's in fashion, what new products are coming onto the market and I must admit I'm partial to having a little nosey at what celebrities are wearing (as I'm sure most of you do) - but sometimes, these magazines really get on my nerves.  The past few years, there's been a lot of focus on weight, and what is 'healthy' for your height and age. Rightfully so, it's no longer acceptable for these magazines to focus on 'overweight' celebrities - these days it's all about celebrating your curves and your lumpy bits. I'm all for this. What annoys me, is that they still think it's perfectly fine to publish pictures of women on the other end of the scale, naming them 'skinny' and 'underweight'.

I've never ever been one to fuss over what size I am or what i weigh. I've always been a size 8 and i rarely ever vary from this - if you asked me how much i actually weigh I wouldn't be able to tell you - in fact I can't remember the last time i stepped on a pair of scales. I have bloated days just like everyone else, I have bits of me that I don't like so much just like everyone else, and i have hips, boobs and a bum like everyone else. Just because somebody is a size 8 or a size 10, doesn't mean they don't have curves like everyone else. What gets on my nerves is that all my life I've had to put up with people saying 'get some meat on your bones' or 'how do you stay so thin?!'. Now, I'd never ever walk up to someone i barely know and say "oo, you're so fat!" or 'bloodyhell, you've let yourself go, lose some weight'- so what gives people the right to assume that just because I'm 'skinny' - that I don't eat?  I've never had an eating disorder and I've always loved my food (albeit being a bit of a fussy eater, i must admit ;)), but it annoys me so much when people stare at me in shock if I order a burger in a restaurant, or eat a few packs of crisps in a row. I feel as if i have to apologise for being the way I am - I'm happy with myself and I eat like every normal person does.. and above all, I'm healthy. I'm petite, and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't moderate what calories i intake - it just doesn't bother me. I'm aware I'm quite lucky to not have to think about these things too much - and a lot of you will probably be rolling your eyes right now - but I know for a fact that other girls feel like this. It's not just me. I don't judge people on their weight, if you're happy and healthy then it doesn't matter whether you're a size 8 or a size 18. Why should it matter so much?

I don't even think of myself as 'skinny' - yes there are girls out there who genuinely need help, I'm not denying this. But sometimes i can't help but feel a little bit offended when people say to me 'you're so thin' - surely you can put that in a slightly nicer way rather than sound so accusing? I know they don't mean to be so negative - but I'm normal for my height and my build.  I'd personally never dream of calling anybody fat - or telling someone they should lose some weight - so what makes it acceptable the other way round? I've had friends in the past make me feel so awful telling me they don't want to be photographed near me in case i make them look 'fat' - this made me incredibly upset - 1. because they said it in the way they did and 2. because they felt as if they had to indirectly put themselves down like that; because to me they're beautiful anyway. 

So girls, please, please, please stop reading these magazines and believing everything they imply. And stop looking at these 'perfect' girls that certain men seem to idolise and realise if you had a team of makeup artists on hand to airbrush your every imperfection 24 hours a day, and a professional photographer/touch of photoshop everytime you took a walk on the beach, you would probably look like that as well (in fact, most photos you see of celebrities on a beach are staged... in ridiculous sweaty heat, would you really have a full face of makeup on and your hair curled all the way down your back? no.. no you wouldn't). These perfect girls don't exist. I love it when I see features here on Blogger about how everyone can wear what they like no matter what their size; American Apparel's disco pants have been this years staple wardrobe item - and ever since my outfit post I've had girls email me asking me how to wear them because they don't think they'll suit them - you can. And you do suit them. Everybody has down days about their body whatever size they are - everybody has a case of nervous jitters before they break out the bikini on the beach and everyone has that heart stopping moment in the changing rooms when the lighting makes your thighs look like an ancient bit of orange peel. I just think it works both ways when something is said about body image/weight. There should be no 'ideal' size for anyone - as long as you're happy and above all else you're healthy, then it shouldn't matter in the slightest. I realise i've done a similar post on this before, but it annoys me how girls get labelled 'fat' or 'skinny' - either way, it's offensive.

What's everyone else's thought on this matter? Is it just as offensive to call somebody 'skinny' than it is to label somebody 'fat'?
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