The conversation about the weight of Americans seems to be getting as big as our waist bands.
It has always been interesting to me that we are battling obesity at the same time we are told the media is causing us to suffer from body image issues and go into eating disorders. Am I the only one that sees this irony? I know, I know, those of us considered "tiny" aren't supposed to voice our opinions on the subject. Yet here I am.
The media keeps getting blamed for unrealistic expectations about how our bodies should look. There's been the backlash of "skinny isn't sexy." As a petite individual, I find this rather offensive. To me it says "we feel better about our bodies if we can put down other body types." Don't get me wrong, I don't think malnourished is sexy either. Being built skinny is completely different. Some people are just petite
"Blah blah. Keep complaining about being small you skinny bitch."
As women, shouldn't we be building up and embracing all body types? Isn't all we should want for our friends is to be healthy and happy? Just a thought.
I see images all over the internet today of a model, highly altered and stretched vertically to look even thinner, next to a picture of Marilyn Monroe, stretched horizontally to look bigger. "Skinny isn't sexy. Marilyn Monroe was a size 12." Well here's the skinny on the situation, to burst your bubble.
1. Marilyn Monroe's waist was 22". That's 12 inches smaller than the average waist today but only 3 inches smaller than the average waist in 1960. It's definitely smaller than my waist.
2. A size 8 today would be considered a size 16 in 1960 based on measurements. We changed sizes in America in 1980 the first time.
3. She never wore a size 12-16, today's sizes or 1960's sizes. Someone in cyberspace created this image. But even if she was a size 12 in 1960, that's closer to a size 6 today.
So stop using Marilyn as your face of "skinny isn't sexy." Her bone structure was indeed curvy, but she was a very skinny woman. And sexy.
A dress size isn't what makes you sexy, just like it wasn't what made Marilyn sexy. I'd go with your confidence, your personality, intelligence all playing into being sexy. I'd also argue that those interested in you will all have different preferences of what is sexy. My man is clearly into the scrawny thing. Whatever your size is, embrace it or change it- it's your one and only body- make sure it's a body you love. But to love and be confident in your skin shouldn't require putting down any other shape.
