Real Women Have Curves

I have love/hate relationship with this meme. I love the reason it started. It started as a way to boost the confidence of girls who carry a few extra pounds and to end fat shaming. It was a way to remind them that they are beautiful too. I think this is important in a society that glorifies skinny over healthy.

What I hate is that it uses the phrase "real women." A woman is any person who identifies as female. So don't tell me girls who aren't curvy aren't "real" and aren't beautiful. Skinny shaming won't end fat shaming. Tumblr user 365reasonstobeafeminist sums up the issue very well,

"[People who say this] fail to see that the biggest problem isn't what our beauty norm is, but the fact that we as a society have a beauty norm and women feel obliged to adapt to it. So, establishing a 'curvy beauty norm' is really just an extension of the problem, not a solution. What is and is not attractive should be up to the individual to decide." 

A similar movement has been to preach that "zero is not a size." This is similar to the "real women have curves" thing because it was started with a good purpose but ultimately it leaves some women feeling like they aren't good enough. This was started with the goal of telling women and girls that eating disorders are not good and their goal isn't realistic. But what these people forgot is that zero actually is a size. People have different body types. Some people are born with a natural slim physique.

 

Women are not defined by their body type, we are more than that. We are our body, our mind, our opinions, our likes and dislikes, our passions, our past, and so much more. It is impossible to define us by just our bodies.

Tldr: Women are beautiful regardless of body type. Just please stay healthy. Let me know wha toyu think in the comments.