Shame.
By: Sylvia Morgado
Body-shame, everyone is talking about it, but do you know all the information about it. How it can affect, not only the mind but your body as well.
Fat-shaming in today's society is enough to make anyone sick. Jean M.Lamont found a link between poor self-image and diminished physical health. Body shaming is;" unlike embarrassment, which represents a lighthearted response to the evaluation of social norms that others may find amusing, body shame involves a sense of social inferiority, and self-reproaol." So in other words it can in fact make you sick. It can affect you not only physically but also mentally. When people are constantly being told that they are fat, gross or too skinny, they will start to get depressed.

Being told by multiple sources that people are "too fat", "too skinny", "you need to lose weight","she probably starves herself", are just the top of the iceberg when it comes to body-shaming. The problem with body-shaming, is that people do not recognize it as an "actual" problem. More the 24 million people of all ages stuffer. Not just woman but men too in terms of eating disorders. 95% of those suffering from an eating disorder are between the ages of 12-24. There are images all telling us to "loss weight" or "gain weight". Barbie, for example blond, skinny, what society "thinks" woman should look like.

What is this saying to the younger girls, that you have to look a certain way to be beautiful? However, Barbies are not all bad, they have recently come out with body positive barbies, in different body shapes, size, hair color and race, which is a start in the right place

Social media is everywhere, in our home, school, and work. There is nowhere to hide. But there are some people trying to stop body-shaming with the use of media. Like the famous Whitney Way Thore,( star of the TLC show My Big Fat Life) and she has also started the NO Body Shame campaign witch preludes information against body-shaming.
Tess Holliday is that largest plus size model to be signed to Milk Model Management. And she is the first to ever sign with a mainstream modeling agency. She also has a campaign called "EFF Your Beauty Standards" which helps to promote positive body image for women of all body types.

While there is a start to positive on social media there is a darker side. Depression is a common occurrence when it comes to body shaming. Depression not only effects the person, but family and friends. Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and, 16% among 25-44 years old. Once diagnosed with depression, help could make a big differences for 80% of the people.

I am one of the 80%. I was body-shamed in school( 1st grade to 8th grade) by 7th grade it was so bad I was starting to cut myself, it was the only way I felt alive. My depression lead me to my drug use. I started to use everyday, my life was control. When I was 16, I was hospitalized, the doctors said I was suffering from depression and schizophrenia (due to my drug habit). At 17 I went into rehab for 4 months where I was able to get clean and lead me to accept myself and love myself the way I am.

In our world there is a lot of hate, and shaming going on.A stand need to be made to help stop it. There are lots of groups on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, that help Promote positive body images, I myself have joined these types of groups and they help. These groups provide positive and supportive environment for people of all shapes and sizes.

"girls of all kinds can be beautiful from the thin, plus sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain-skinned; the quirky, clumsy, shy and outgoing, all in between. It's not easy though, because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box....think outside the box...pledge that you will look into the mirror the unique beauty in you!"
-Tyra Banks.