In my fifteen short years on this earth, I have both witnessed and experienced something people don’t like to admit takes place: “skinny shaming.”

Some people reading this may think that I am being over dramatic, or that this isn’t a real issue. But it is an issue, and to some, it could be the main source of their insecurities.

Think about it, if someone shames another person for being “fat” they are bullying and being hateful. However, when someone makes fun of another person for being too thin or not having enough “junk in their trunk,” it is usually followed by laughter from others and seen as a joke. It seems like fat shaming is this terrible thing, but people act like there is no problem with mocking people because they are thin.

These days, many girls aspire to be “thick” because, for now, that is the preferred body type and it is what is popular. This means that if you are not thick, you are a target for jokes. I have dealt with these jokes all of my high school career. After a while it gets old, and it can be very degrading. I had never really thought about my body in a negative way, until high school. In high schools, guys seem to go after girls with “slim thick” bodies, and girls seem to admire other girls with these body types. If you are like me and don’t really have hips or thick thighs, don’t worry, you are not alone. It is okay not to be super “thick” because if everyone looked the same, it would be a very boring world. And if it is your friends who are the ones constantly picking on you, speak up for yourself, or maybe look into finding a new, more accepting circle of friends.

I know that weight is a serious issue for middle and high school girls, so it is not a topic to speak about lightly. Most of the rude comments I have gotten about my body were from other girls, who may or may have not been my friends. I feel that this is really sad, and I don’t know why girls can be so mean to one another. This is the time in life when our bodies are still changing, and with that, come some insecurities. If one’s body doesn’t look like it is changing into society’s norms, it could take a huge toll on a girl’s confidence.

Personally, I don’t aspire to have a thick bottom and thick thighs. I did for a while, but that was only because others made me feel that I wasn’t good enough the way I am. Any kind of shaming is wrong whether it is for body type, hair, how one dresses, or any other area of judgement. People are who they are, big, small, or even in-between. Shaming anyone is wrong, and making fun of or degrading someone for being “too skinny” or comparing them to “a stick” is no better than calling someone a “fat cow.”
I have different people actually walk up to me, slap my bottom, and proceed to joke about how “hard” it is. And no, they don’t mean toned, they mean flat. This shocks me as I would never walk up to someone and slap their bottom and make any sort of comment, never mind the bottom of a girl who is thicker than me and slap her to make fun of how her bottom “jiggles.”

In our society it seems like a girl can’t be too thin or too thick. She has to be the perfect medium, and that just isn’t realistic. Sometimes I get a reality check and remember that there is nothing wrong with my body, and that there is something wrong with how society views my body and all women’s bodies. I am a pretty confident person when it comes to outward appearance. Most of my insecurities come from what other people have said to me. Words that were meant to be “jokes” can really stick with people and affect how they feel about themselves; it has with me.

It would be wonderful to see girls of all body types be nicer and less judgmental of one another. You never know what someone is going through confidence-wise, and you should not be one of the causes of their insecurities. Most people have said some rude things as “jokes” without fully thinking them through. I get it. I’ve done it, but I also know that we should all try to bring attention to all of these issues, so we can move forward as a society.