0 to 100

My name is Abigail Johnson and I am a size zero. A size that too often gets labeled as “not being a size”. For everyone who likes to put people into certain categories and label them based on their pants size, shame on you. My size zero is as real as a size thirteen. There is nothing wrong with my health, or my body. Just as there is nothing wrong with someone who is a size thirteen. I’ve grown up listening to family and friends tell me “You need to eat a cheeseburger” or “You’re too skinny”. But, by far my favorite is when people like to try to fit their hand around my arm. It’s like a fun game for them, it looks small enough to fit my hand around so let me try it. Who made these standards in society okay? Since when is fat shaming or skinny shaming acceptable? What appears on the outside, is not always what lies on the inside. That girl you called “fat”, she exercises really hard but due to a medical condition, can’t lose weight. The girl you told to “get some meat on those bones”, she eats more than the average Joe, but her metabolism is just too fast to store any fat. I used to let these negative messages about my weight consume me, but I’ve realized that the heart of the person saying those horrible comments, is just as battered as the one receiving them. Whether you are a size 0, 4, 8, 10, 16, 24; it doesn’t matter. Your weight, your looks, they don’t define you. God put you on this earth for far greater reasons than to be judged and ridiculed. You have a purpose in this life, start dwelling on your positive attributes. The attributes that make you , you. Maybe you are the type of person to sacrifice yourself so others can be happy, maybe you love to do charity work or volunteer. Maybe you’re the next person to find a cure for cancer or help find a solution to end poverty. As my boyfriend says “when I call you beautiful, I’m talking about your heart. What you have inside.” Each and every one of us is beautiful in our own, unique way. Find what makes you beautiful, own it, and show the world. It’s time we start lifting ourselves, and each other up. You are beautiful, you are smart, you are deserving of every opportunity this world has to offer.