Beauty standards are always changing, but there’s one thing people just can’t seem to be satisfied with. People have preached about how much society has progressed and how much more accepting people are, but what they don’t talk about is how society refuses to let go of the obsession with body weight.

Growing up, I’ve always been overweight. For the longest time, I never really noticed anything “off,” so it’s taken me a long time to realize how differently I’ve been treated because of it. I didn’t look at myself in the mirror and think that I was any different from anyone else, so I had no need to question anything. That was until I grew older, and I started looking at myself differently because of the ridiculous beauty standards set for people, especially women. I started obsessing over every little detail of my body, and I lost so much of my childhood because of it. I never grew up seeing women like me on TV, so I felt alone and frustrated.

I’ve been treated differently simply because of my body. People have refused to be my friend or talk to me just because of the way I look. Unfortunately, this problem doesn’t stop at just my experiences. I’ve seen the change in attitude toward people simply because of their weight. This problem is especially apparent on social media. No matter a person’s body type or weight, there is always that one person who isn’t satisfied and feels the need to make mean and hateful comments.

I recently heard something that I cannot agree more with, so I’m here to spread the message. Some messed up lipstick or stray hair is not the same as someone’s weight. You shouldn’t talk about someone else’s appearance if they can’t fix it in 10 seconds. Someone else’s body isn’t a comment section, and remarks about it are unnecessary. We should be spreading love and acceptance, not ignorance and hate.