Size shamed (Opinion)

Plus-size. It’s a title I’ve lived with for a long time. Side glances are thrown when friends talk about the weight they’ve lost, sympathetic looks are shared when I come out of the changing room with items that don’t fit.

Then, in high school, the moment I dreaded finally came – I started getting pointed to the plus-size section when asking for my size.

The first time it happened, I saw a dress that I wanted but, as usual, my size wasn’t there. I went to ask and the lady just nodded and pointed straight at the plus size section. My stomach dropped. The truth I’d been ignoring was finally facing me. I walked fast and hid behind the T-shirt rack once I got there. I looked around expecting judgment, but what I saw surprised me. Women were walking around with confidence, not shame. No one was concerned about the sizes other people were trying. They were just smiling, helping one another, and showing each other a kindness I’d never seen before.

It occurred to me that the only reason why I was so embarrassed, so ashamed to be in the plus-size section is because everything around me has enforced the thought that being bigger is wrong. Magazines promising faster ways to lose weight, social media generating “pro-anorexia” hashtags like #thinspiration. The same idea being hammered into my head that my body can never be something that I’m proud of – it’s something I always need to hide.

Verbal bullying, physical attacks, eating disorders, and in some cases, suicide. This is what happens when society values one body type over another. This is what happens when society rejects and shames people who don’t fit into the set “beauty standards.” This is what happens when we encourage the idea that happiness is tied to having a “perfect body.”

Instead of putting so many resources into destroying teens’ body image, society should be focused on building them up. Making more plus-size clothes available in stores, featuring more plus-size models on runways, and boosting body positive movements in the media are all small steps we can take.

Yes, thighs touch. Yes, stretch marks happen. But having these things shouldn’t make anyone feel less confident. Let’s strive for a world where teenage girls don’t walk with embarrassment to the plus section, but with pride. Because they know they are more than their size.