As the years progress, the figures of women have changed dramatically. Some girls worry about being too fat, chubby, corpulent, or obese. Not only do teenage girls stress over this, but also grown women. ALL ladies have had a hard time with weight, whether she wants to shed the pounds or has an ongoing brawl with her insecurities because she is uncomfortable with her physical appearance. Many women fret about being overweight and want to be as tiny as possible, thinking she will feel better about herself. This can lead to her thinking that she will finally get into that “popular” group of girls, all the guys on site will think of her as a “jaw-dropper,” will date the cutest guy on campus, and automatically think her life is perfect because she is thin. In addition, just because the teens in magazines look “picture perfect” does not mean that is how another teenage girl is supposed to look. Every woman is created differently for a reason. It is her duty to embrace who she is, not what the world wants her to be. The issue here is that women feel the need to fit into that “perfect size,” which is extremely unrealistic. Seeing a mannequin on the stand at a store should not be something a girl aspires to be in size. Runway models should not be a woman’s role model either.

Just because the girl beside you or in front of you or behind you seems like she has it all because she is skinny and pretty on the outside is no reason to feel the insecurities creeping up on you. You’re beautiful in your own way and there is no reason AT ALL to disagree with that. Thin doesn’t mean healthy. In the online dictionary thin literally means: not well fleshed; somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking resonance. Some of the synonyms are: boney, fatless, lean, skinny, tenuous, and slim. Honestly, that is not something anyone should stride to be. Going on extreme diets, anorexia, binge eating, or not eating at all is not only terribly unhealthy for you but can also become deadly. Skinny and/or scrawny is something every woman should stay away from. If you were brought into this world with some “extra love” or additional pudge, that is nothing to be ashamed of. Lady Gaga says it best with her song “Born This Way.”
Be who you are, not what others expect you to be.

The way society tends to perceive a beautiful woman is by this: big breasts (usually achieved by a push-up bra two sizes larger than her original proportions), a petite and sexy figure, a “pretty” face with pounds of make-up, unnatural hair color(s), and no real personality. So, she is basically supposed to look like a replica of a mannequin, according to society. Realistically, that is impractical. To mirror a mannequin should be extremely frowned upon, which it somewhat is, but apparently not enough to change these girls’ minds. Minuscule waists with large breasts are not the most important things in the world. What women should be more concerned about are intelligence, personality, and careers. Striving to be skinny and boney is not what any woman should be doing.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Oprah Winfrey is the wealthiest woman alive, and guess what? She’s not a size zero or two or four; she’s naturally curvy and takes the initiative to embrace it. She is also very educated, comes off with a genuine personality, and has a wonderful career doing what she loves and what she is passionate about.

There are shows, commercials, and advertisements everywhere that have runway models plastered all over them. Victoria’s Secret is one of many culprits. Every year they host a fashion show (which is quite ridiculous and audacious to begin with) that showcases some of the skinniest and underweight women in America wearing lingerie and over-the-top costumes. Unfortunately, many women want to be just like this. It is painful to see such lovely women turn into such skeletal beings. Some of those women have no real idea or concept of beauty. Related to this was Jessica Simpson’s reality show on VH1 named “The Price of Beauty.” In one of the episodes, an anorexic French model named Isabelle Caro ends up being asked to leave modeling, after pursuing that as her career since she was thirteen, because someone spoke up about her weight (or lack-there-of) and said she was TOO skinny. Sadly, many people condone this kind of masochistic behavior. Caro was literally dying to be beautiful and paying a hefty price for it. At the young, and what is supposed to be fruitful, age of 28, Caro ended up dying. She weighed roughly 55 lbs.

True beauty is beyond the surface, but apparently that does not mean much to some women these days. It is also important to know that how skinny or chubby a woman is does not make that woman beautiful. What makes a person beautiful is their attitude and character. Besides, is it worth the grueling chase some go through after all the things that this world offers in order to gain the label “beautiful” by someone else’s standards… and in return, give everything that they are away? True beauty does not come without sacrifice and it does not come easily. It is something that anyone, but in particular women, must work on each and every day. True beauty can absolutely be achieved with determination and self-respect for oneself. It is not bombarding or harassing a girl, luring her in or tempting her the way false beauty does. True beauty stands on its own and speaks for itself. As strong, independent women, we must stand with true beauty and inspire others to do the same. Next time you see a well-dressed mannequin or runway model; remind yourself that you were born this way and nobody can discourage you as long as you stay strong. Toss your insecurities out the window and be amazing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving yourself, even if you’re not tenuous or slender. Finally, these wonderful lyrics are brought to you by Lady Gaga, and something that you must keep in mind:
“I’m beautiful in my way,
‘Cause God makes no mistakes.
I’m on the right track, baby,
I was born this way.
Don’t hide yourself in regret,
Just love yourself and you’re set.
I’m on the right track baby,
I was born this way.”

Never forget.