Imagine—your dad, who you idolize, walks into your bathroom one morning. You’re in the 11th grade. He lovingly asks you, “When are you going to take care of yourself and lose some weight?” He doesn’t mean anything by it other than, “I love you and want to see you happy and healthy.” But he didn’t exactly say that. In your young mind, he said what all of the other girls in school say to a beautiful, normal girl—“You’re fat.”
 
What if that girl is one of your best friends, or a sister, or family member who has struggled with her body image before, and since then? What if because of comments like that, she’s in her 40s before she finally knows and believes how beautiful she is?
 
I could tell you a similar story, in one way or another, about each and every one of my girlfriends. And I bet a lot of you can too. We could probably say the same story about girls we’ve never even met. Would you then think before you spoke?
 
Our bodies, like all things in life, aren’t black and white. We all fall into the various shades of grey, and we are all different and beautiful in our own unique ways. We are all made with the design for our bodies to change in many different ways as our lives unfold. Our bodies change in various ways with exercise, healthy eating, poor eating habits, having children, and difficult life changes. Some people have higher metabolisms, lower metabolisms, some build muscle faster. There are so many variations and things to consider when you look at a person’s body. There’s a whole history and story behind who they are.
 
We’ve never walked in each other’s shoes, but we are always so quick to comment and give an opinion on things as if we have the right to.  What no woman or man needs is anyone telling them they are “too fat” or “too skinny.”  That just adds to the many stereotypes out there about a person’s weight.
 
I don’t deny that there are people around the world with real problems such as bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating. But I’m talking about our obsession as a society withbody image and how it’s started to control and tear our lives apart. I wish we would all educate ourselves on what we are putting into our bodies, and refocus the energy we spend on our body image into staying healthy and active with our families and friends.
 
I hope that any girl, boy, woman, or man reading this will think before they speak, and that anyone in need of help finds a safe place to get it. It’s an amazing feeling to be healthy, happy and educated about your body and your mind.
 
Trust you, love you and leave the rest alone.