All plus-size women and men are not lazy, unhealthy, insecure or desperate. Being “pretty for a big girl” is not a compliment. Stereotypes like these can be very problematic in the society that we live in. We are constantly being judged by our appearances before our personalities, talents, hopes and dreams are discovered, and for those on the receiving end of these comments, it hurts.

I am proud to be a beautiful and confident plus-size young women, but our society helps to form unfair stereotypes about body image. Every single time a beauty ad involving a plus-size model is posted, the comment section is immediately filled with comments that are partially negative and partially positive. Some commenters embrace the fact that a different type of beauty standard is forming and celebrate it. Others immediately jump to conclusions about the physical capabilities of the subjects of the media being presented to them. 

Genetics can play a huge role in obesity, and whether you diet or exercise, you may still have the chance of not being defined as healthy from a medical standpoint. Even if by some chance you are in the small percentage of people in the U.S. that is neither underweight nor overweight, you can still develop health issues. 

The worst part of this all is the assumption that plus-sized women are somehow inferior to “average-sized women.” Several studies including one by refinery29.com, reveal that 67 percent of women wear a size 14 or higher. If you add men to that percentage, the percentage of those identified as plus-size would increase.

I’m no math wiz, but I think it’s pretty obvious that the misrepresentation in the media is ridiculous. Why is the term “plus-sized” even being used if those identified make up most of the population?  The “average-sized” people are either shunned for their weight or praised for being “normal.”

Let me clarify that body shaming does not only apply to plus-sized women or men. It applies to everyone. Thinner people are commonly stereotyped as drug addicts, health nuts, or are believed to be suffering from eating disorders. That’s not OK. From a medical standpoint, being overweight or underweight is not necessarily a good thing, but neither is being insecure. 

There are plus-sized models, ballerinas, actresses, athletes, you name it. These are the types of images that should be shown on a regular basis. In this modern world, people all look different, and that should be reflected in our media. When we begin to only show impressionable children the “ideal” male and female bodies, then we are practically forcing them to have issues with their bodies and self-esteem. What kind of world will we have if our future leaders do not love themselves and cannot make accurate decisions about what is right and wrong?

Everyone has the right to express themselves. We have to believe and practice that for both sides of the argument. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, at what point does it become OK to attack someone based on only a portion of themselves that you are seeing? A lot of commenters are quick to reveal that they are disgusted by plus-sized women or men. Well, I am disgusted by how human beings treat each other. 

Learning to love yourself and the way that you look is no small feat. Neither is committing to regular diet or exercise. We should remain active as often as we can. It is necessary to eat a well-balanced diet and practice portion control. For me, if I don’t do those things, I will greatly increase my chances of having health issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, several types of cancer, epilepsy, heart disease and lupus are only some of the conditions that I am aware of that could possibly affect me. 

Nevertheless, whether someone wants to exercise or remain on a diet is none of your business. It’s their life and their decision. If you don’t know something, then ask. Don’t make unfair assumptions without knowing the entire story. And if you are reading this and wondering why in the midst of other important issues in the world I am discussing this, there is one simple answer: if we love and support each other as members of a society, then nothing else will be impossible.