Thin Issue pt 2

Obesity is not the only weight issue that caught my notice. A handful of my favorite fashion magazines such as Teen Vogue, Allure, and Cosmopolitan recently have talked about the opposite issue of obesity: young women suffering from anorexia and bulimia. To emphasize the importance of these problems, they discussed about a Brazilian model who died because of anorexia, a problem she had developed while trying to get work. Moreover, an association of Spanish designers has recently decided to start measuring models’ body mass index and to stop using underweight models. It was a warning not only for models but also for average people in the United States.

Those warnings worried me because, initially, I was just concerned about my weight to be accepted by people and fit into nice clothes. I constantly checked my body in the mirror, and stepped on the scale. I wanted to make sure that I was not having any serious health issues because I have to take care of myself while I am living alone in the United States. When I was completely sure that I was healthy, I asked myself: “Is it still acceptable to be normal and thin?” Society has a conflicting view of what the healthy body should be. They consider people with extra body fat unhealthy but do not appreciate stick-thin people either. In the end, I am still stuck in between, and I do not want to be on either extreme.

When I decided to do something about my weight, not only I felt mentally exhausted but scared because I felt forced to become something which was not who I am. Where is the beauty of my individuality? If I changed accordingly, I would become a part of the next army of clones. But would it satisfy me? That is when I realized I was betraying a fundamental part of my DNA.

Our lifestyle is what makes us look beautiful and feel healthy, not what we see and hear in the media. When I look at the French, they eat almost the same food we do, only theirs is fresher and consumed in smaller quantities. Therefore, they live healthy lives with fewer issues. Because obesity and anorexia come from an unhealthy lifestyle, we need to take care of ourselves properly. We need to embrace what nature gives us: a healthy body and an active mind. I am committed myself to being normal and thin…in a big way.