Friday, January 20, 2012

The Weighty Question

I'm pretty sure it's been around forever.

"I need to gain weight!" "I need to lose it!" "I'm ugly because my body is just a smidge off my desired BMI!!!!"

Okay, okay! I'm one of them.

There was a time, not that long ago, when skinny was not attractive. Do any of my theatre geek friends just notice that moment, in Funny Girl, when Mr. Keeney is trying to get Fanny(Barbra)'s attention, and calls her "the girl with the skinny legs"? Look at Marylin Monroe. Look at Judy Garland. Look at anyone from the 20's-60's They had a perfect, beautiful body shape. Know why? Because that's the way they were.

I have a lot of girlfriends who are super-slim. I'm not saying that's bad. What would be bad is if they went through surgeries and specialized diets and what-not that could make them look like someone who was simply bigger.  I have bigger bones than some of my friends. Some girls are slim, some are curvy. You know why? Because they're built that way.

Hey, guess what? I have a confession. My chest and hips don't align perfectly. But that's not going to change, because my hip width is inherited, and I'm proud of it, and if you want to call me fat, then, go ahead. I know I'm not.

Hey, chicas! I really don't think it's worth it to go through bulimia, anorexia, and diets that make you sick to look like a stick. If that's news to you, you need to take a serious look at yourself and ask what's going on. You need help. And we need to embrace ourselves. There's nothing wrong with getting in shape, pounding little bits of fat we don't want away. But if you're trying to be a different you entirely, then who are you in the first place?

~Rae <3