'Skinny shaming'- equally as bad as 'fat shaming'.

Apr 30, 2019
4 min read

Being a woman or man in the 21st century can be hard at times, with the rise of social media, TV shows, and celebrities etc all portraying a certain look that we should have as young women and men, it is hard to ever really feel satisfied with the body you are in.

Such platforms such as Instagram fooling us into believing we are never quite good enough, with women posing with flawless skin, amazing hair and a ridiculously amazing lifestyle to match, it's no wonder people can't help but compare their life to a total stranger they've never met before online. Thank goodness recently there has become a sudden surge of realistic 'influencers' such as 'Chessie King' that will openly post her flaws and all- stretch marks, cellulite, spots etc. However I think society needs a little more of this, a little more of a reality check that it's okay to not be flawless and to not look a certain way.

What does perfect mean to you anyway, for some it could be having curves, others a small waist, people never seem to be happy with the skin their in which really saddens me. I am here to tell you that there is such a thing as a perfect body and it's the one you are in, so long as you are taking care of it, nourishing it, moving it and loving it then to me that is the perfect body and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

So with that said what happens when you are pretty happy with your body, at peace with the skin your in, accept your flaws and love yourself the way you are. I accepted a long time ago I was never going to be a curvy girl with big boobs, sexy hips and a big booty to match, my natural body type is what you call an 'ectomorph', basically better known as a 'skinny bitch'. Of course I do workout a lot that is the nature of my job and I am constantly on the go burning an obscene amount of calories day to day, If I didn't eat the amount I do and ensure when I eat I match if not go over the calories I burn, then I would be a total stick and that would be a cause for concern. However for those that know me well know just how much I eat, I am just very lucky to be in a position where I burn it all off hence never gain weight.

Over the past couple of years I have had people make comments about my weight and size, 'you're tiny', 'you need to eat more, 'you're too skinny', 'are you anorexic', that last one particularly hurt the most, anorexia is a serious mental illness and to throw such a word around really shocked me. I am thick skinned and usually can brush these things off and try and put it down to a level of insecurity from their side, however it dawned on me that if they were to call me 'fat' it would be seen as totally wrong and outright bullying.

So what makes it okay to tell someone they're too skinny, but not okay their too fat?

If I was to tell someone who was overweight 'you eat too much, you need to stop', without being asked for my honest and professional opinion as a personal trainer- how would they feel? Pretty hurt I should imagine. It's this unsolicited advice from people that has really started to bug me.

The media has definitely endorsed larger bodied woman more and more over the past years, Nicki Minaj's 'Baby got back' song famous for the words 'I'm bringing booty back. Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that'. Songs like this have been celebrated for the more realistic proportioned women, however this is a concerning trend. Accepting only one body type can mean largely invalidating another.

Everyone has the right to feel beautiful and happy in their own body, why can't people start accepting that there isn't just a one size fits all approach (literally) to body types. There are so many factors to take into account when looking at body sizes, such as, genes, a persons metabolism, their job and their lifestyle.

Of course I am going to have a low body fat percentage, I burn up to around 3,500 calories most days and ensure I eat up to this amount daily if not more sometimes. My diet consists mainly of meats, carbs and veg and I definitely do not hold back on eating 'junk food', pizza, Mc Donalds, curry, etc.

So to anyone who has made comments about another persons shape/size I urge you to think next time you see someone who you may look at and not like their body, it's not your body to love, and it's not your body to comment on.

What is the perfect body? Surely it should be a question of overall health and not based solely on physical appearance. To me as long as I am eating the right foods and enough of them, exercising, socialising and also making time to rest then I feel happy in my body, whatever it looks like. There is no ideal for me, I have stretch marks, cellulite, I have scars on my skin and these to me make my body beautiful in it's own unique way. On the contrary if you don't have stretch marks or cellulite then guess what, you are just as beautiful.

Life can be hard enough as it is, lets celebrate each others bodies and the amazing things they can do, let's lift each other up, and be thankful for our health. Make the most out of being able bodied because not everyone is as lucky to be in your position.

Love

Rosie

xoxo