Dieting, restricting, and extreme exercising seems so normal these days, especially for women. We see ads for a product and the model looks perfect: glowing skin, flat stomach, long legs. It’s everything society has set as a standard for us. It’s unrealistic and I wish I didn’t feel like I need to fit the mold. As a teenage girl, I feel so passionate about stopping this constant comparison between normal people and supermodels. 

    I look in the mirror just to pinch my stomach and see what I could lose. That’s such an unhealthy habit that just about everyone I know does. My body is beautiful and your body is beautiful, but we look different than Kendall Jenner or Bella Hadid. They have the long, slender runway model look which is absolutely beautiful, but it doesn’t mean other looks aren’t beautiful. I’ve learned to appreciate myself and the things that might make me different from others. I am working on loving my imperfections and working towards being happy with my body. I feel like many girls are in the same mindset, and it makes me excited to see girls with different body types becoming more confident and having more representation in pop culture. 

    It’s so upsetting to hear girls say they are going on a diet or exercising to lose weight especially at this age. I think choosing to live healthier by exercising and eating right is very commendable, but to restrict yourself so you can lose ten pounds is upsetting. One hundred and forty pounds is a completely normal weight for a teenager yet it's somehow always the “before” weight for a diet promotion. Diets aren’t a long-lasting way to lose weight or even a healthy way for the most past. Exercise is such a great way to stay healthy while having fun, but when you see a diet promoting eating 800 calories a day and running 5 miles you would be concerned too. Exercise isn’t about calorie counting or burning the fat because exercise is about building muscle and making your body strong. I wish people wouldn't turn to restricting and pushing themselves at the gym just to look like someone else or be a size 2. 

    The companies that brand their clothes to be just for skinny people rather than for everyone take so much backlash now. It’s a feat to have so many people stand up to a company like Brandy Melville for their infamous “one-size fits some” policy. The diversity of body types, race, genders, and sexualities Fenty Beauty by Rihanna brings to the table is incredible. The representation they provide is needed in today’s world and we are moving in the right direction with it. Social media has two sides to body positivity: the encouraging and open side or the influencers who post with appetite-suppressant lollipops. You can choose who to listen to, but there’s still a lot of work we can do with uplifting communities who promote body positivity on social media. 

Comparing yourself to others will lead you down a path of fad trends to help you feel like you are becoming like them, and it’s not the answer. Diets and cutting things out of your life to have your legs skinnier results in your legs losing their muscle and your body getting weaker. I want people to cut themselves some slack and appreciate what they were given. There’s someone out there who is appreciating your body type and thinks it’s beautiful. Everyone’s bodies are beautiful.