Kitsch

Our bodies

I swear, if I come across one more person trying to justify calling girls ‘too skinny’ or ‘almost anorexic’ or anything remotely similar to that with the excuse that smaller body types are ‘the ideal’ or ‘normal’ in American culture, and therefore there is no reason that girl has the right to be offended or hurt by stated comments….

Those statements in no way tell a girl she is normal and acceptable. The fact is, those phrases single out and say that there is something wrong with the girl at whom they are directed. They say she is unhealthy, which implies she is unattractive and something short of beautiful. How is that any more acceptable than making girls on the other end of the spectrum feel bad about themselves?

I support loving your body, regardless of size. I also support taking care of your body through eating well and exercising.

I believe it is possible to to draw a distinction between loving your body for how it is and recognizing that, even with that love, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I do not support eating disorders of any sort — neither the kind that make a body unhealthily small nor the kind that make a body unhealthily large.

Our society has, to some extent, become aware of the social inappropriateness of calling a girl fat, overweight or obese. When will we start to recognize that calling a girl out as being too small, anorexic-looking or a stick is just as bad?