Sir Mix-A-Lot once stated, “Oh, my, God. Becky, look at her butt. It is so big, she looks like. One of those rap guys' girlfriends. But, ya know, who understands those rap guys? They only talk to her, because, She looks like a total prostitute, 'kay? I mean, her butt, is just so big.”

            In today’s society we are always so quick to judge based on body type. We walk through the day looking at people and judging. We see a skinny girl in short shorts, and automatically think she’s a slut. Your body doesn’t define you. We see a bigger girl, with big thighs, and automatically assume all she does is eat. Your body doesn’t define you! Some of the nicest and most reserved girls I’ve met have been thinner, yet they aren’t sluts. Your body doesn’t define you. You see a girl with a thigh gap, and assume she’s anorexic. Your body doesn’t define you. Big butts, big boobs, flat stomachs, muffin tops, don’t define who you are. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, don’t define you. So why do we care?

            Think about who you are, what your body type is. Think of how you look at certain people. We’re all insecure about something. The words we spew at others, are hurtful and cruel. A person’s body doesn’t define who they are. I’ve walked through this life for 18 years now. I used to be thin, and everyone was my friend. I used to cheer, I used to wear bikinis, I used to do everything “thin” people do. Around 4th grade is when it all went down. I began to gain weight, and I lost my “skinny” crown. I quit cheerleading because everybody laughed. I began softball, where I could take me anger out on a ball with a bat. What could I say, my metabolism was crap. I never felt so alone, I never felt so fat. All my life, I’ve been laughed at and ridicule, but guess what? I’m the same as all of you. I laugh at the same things, I listen to the same music, I can be happy, and I can be sad. Just because I’m fat doesn’t make me different. My body doesn’t define me. Your body doesn’t define you.

            Think twice before you say something mean. You don’t know the story. You see a person with scars on their arms, and automatically assume they just want attention. You see a person wearing baggy clothes, with bruises all over their body and think they’re in a gang. You don’t know their story, you don’t know their life. Their bodies don’t define them. Tall, short, skinny, fat, stringy hair, blackened nails. No physical appearance defines who a person is. We are all equal. We are all the same.

            In today’s society, we see what the world perceives as perfect, skinny, tall, and blonde, typically. But the reality of it all, is that no one looks that way. It is said that only 5% of Americans have the body type seen on television with models. A whole 5%. Why do we base our views on what’s on social media? Why do we care how others look? Why do we hate based on our insecurities? Our bodies don’t define us! We are who we are, and we should be proud of how we look, body shape and all. Don’t worry about how people look at you, just be yourself. Your body doesn’t define you. You’re beautiful and amazing the way you are. No matter what people say, you are amazing and the best you can be. Your body doesn’t define you.