This is not disgusting.

I don't even know how to begin, so I guess I'll just start from, well, the beginning. A couple weeks ago, a local acquaintance of mine, let's call her Melissa (that is not even remotely close to her real name), tweeted that the Victoria's Secret models were disgusting, and that nobody should love their body if they look like that. It was in reference to the Body By Victoria advertising campaign they've got going on right now, for which the slogan is "I love my body!" Of course the Victoria's Secret models are the same ones they use in the catalog. We've all seen them a million times.

Well, in response to this girl's thing, everyone else I know here starts tweeting about how it's so true, and that nobody's that thin, and things like that. I did weigh in on this discussion, but since my policy is to try not to engage in drama via social networking, microblogging, or whatnot, I kept it very simple, and said, "I like them. They're built a bit like me." It's true. If I were just a couple inches taller, and actually went for the boob job a few years ago when I was thinking about it, I'd have pretty much the exact dimensions of any given one of those models. I'm not saying I LOOK like them. I don't. Most of them haven't had two babies either, and if they have, digital editing is a wonderful thing. Plus, they get more treatments than I do, which helps them look better than me on the surface. I'm not totally naive to the world of modeling, and the tricks of the trade. Let's just say I've dipped my toe into it. Anyhow... the point is not what goes into models looking the way they do. It's about people being out right rude, and they continued being out right rude even after I said what I said.

I am here to tell you today that I am not disgusting. I am not anorexic nor bulimic. I am HEALTHY at 5'6" and 113 pounds. I have curves. I'm every bit as real as any other person on the planet, and I'm tired of hearing that I'm not real, or that I'm disgusting, or that I represent a standard that perpetuates poor body image, and will certainly give my own daughter (who's looking to be at least as thin as I am) an eating disorder, just because I'm not fat.

Here's a horrible picture taken of me just five minutes ago (self-timer on camera... the lovely husband's asleep after his 24 hour shift last night!). I'm not glammed up in any way. This photo is not edited at all. The lighting is poor, my hair's a mess, and I'm not wearing any make-up at all. This is my disgusting, unrealistic, skinny, disease-infested body that nobody could ever love, exactly as you would see it if you passed by me on the beach.

Try not to vomit.



I am not disgusting. I promise I won't call you disgusting either, if only you'll stop it. You won't find acceptance for being fat by spewing hatred toward those of us who are not fat. I know fat is the norm these days, but I can name plenty of people who do not plan to join that club anytime soon. Skinny people are here to stay. Get used to it, because the next time anyone makes reference to my body type being disgusting, I won't be NEARLY as nice as I have been.