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fat shaming

Jesus lads, just when you think the world can't get any more pathetic. 

We all know that nightclub bouncers have the authority to refuse people from venues – usually because said humans are too pissed to function.

However, we've never heard of someone get turned away from a nightclub because they were considered 'fat'.

I actually hate the fact that I had to write that, but people need to know. 

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The gorgeous Agustina Rios Martinez was ona night out, celebrating a friend's birthday in Argentina, when they arrived at the door of a popular nightclub. 

The bouncer apparently told her she didn't 'hit the target' and she wasn't 'the kind of girl who goes to his place'.

Well, that's fu**ing rude. 

Agustina shared her experience in a Facebook post, where she explained that: 

"All my life I have been insulted, shouted at in the street, and mocked because I was a fatty, but not letting me in a club because of my physical appearance! It was the worst thing that happened to me so far."

"I share this with you so that you try not to go to these type of shit places that have no brain and believe they can manage the universe."

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The post has actually been removed, because Agustina shared a link to the bouncers Facebook account – no doubt he's been getting dog's abuse. Rightly. 

According to her brother, Agusta has been very torn up about her experience, and has been suffering from panic attacks.

This is truly a disgusting story, but it is important to share it. 

Has something like this ever happened to you, or someone you know? 

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It seems somewhat of a cliché to talk about body shaming, as it's discussed so often, but the real issue is the fact that the narrative hasn’t changed in decades.

No matter how often we 're told to not body shame, it still happens every day in some way. Whether you accidentally judge another person in your head for gaining a bit of weight over Christmas or even chastise yourself in the mirror for not being good enough – it is pretty hard to escape.

But things need to change.

I am a size 16, and 5 foot 10 – there is little-to-nothing small about me. I do go to the gym a few times a week, I eat healthy enough, and I am pretty happy with myself. Usually.

People of All Shapes and Sizes Walk the Streets of Germany in Lingerie for #BodyLove Campaign http://www.people.com/article/real-people-pose-underwear-germany-body-positivity

Growing up, I was always just physically ‘bigger’ than any of my friends, and while I pretended to be okay with that, it was far from easy.

Teen discos turned into self-esteem bashing 101. School wasn't a whole lot easier. And even walking down the street, there would always be the cruel idiot who would shout ‘fat’ or 'miss piggy' at me. I even remember the moment I was walking down the street when someone from my class commented on my 'tree trunk' legs.

Losers, but it hurt nonetheless. 

That was 10 years ago, and it still happens.

Everywhere we turn, there is a new modelling campaign or catwalk show (calling you out, Victoria Secret!) with thin women at the forefront. Why? Because they wear the clothes better? Why is a size 0 the beauty standard in today’s world? Why is there a beauty standard at all?

And the worst thing? It isn't just society – it is a low-hum of unacceptance that we have started to absorb from social media. We scroll through feeds of women who have the ‘ideal’ figure, and cannot help but feel less than perfect.

But we are all perfect, whether you are slim and lean, or a little bit jiggly in places.

The issue runs deeper, however.

When someone now passes a compliment my way, I immediately get annoyed. Not because I don’t believe them, or because they don’t mean it – simply because it is the same compliment every time.

‘You have such a pretty face,’ seems nice enough, right? For me though, each time I hear this statement, I cannot help but be reminded of the fact that not once has anyone ever said I have a nice figure, nice legs, or a nice stomach.

Full disclosure, I do not have abs of steel (at all) or legs for days, but why should that mean that I am unworthy of praise?

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The world is making progress, this is certain. However, for every step forward we take, it certainly seems as though we take two steps back.

We have amazing women like Ashley Graham and Beth Woodhead spreading body positivity every day, with their beautiful figures, and sensational personalities. Sure, their thighs may rub off each other, but that's life, lovelies.

We’re all, every last one of us, gorgeous in our own way. So, bring it on 2018 – let’s ditch beauty standards, and accept our bodies.  

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A high-school principal has come under fire after she body-shamed female students for wearing leggings.

Heather Taylor, the principal at Stratford High School in South Carolina, told an assembly of 14 to 16-year-old girls that they shouldn't wear leggings unless they were a size zero or two (size four or six on this side of the pond).

“And the sad thing is ladies, so if someone has not told you this before, I'm going to tell you this now. Unless you're a size zero or two and you wear something like that, even though you're not fat, you look fat,” she said in a voice recording obtained by one of the students. 

Her words sparked huge backlash among students and parents alike, with some admitting they felt personally attacked by the statement.

Speaking about the highly controversial comments, Allison Veazey, a sophmore at Stratford High School, told WCBD, “I’m not a size zero and I kind of felt targeted because of my size.”

“It was really hurtful, cause I felt like my size made me look disgusting towards someone in the clothes that I wear,” she added.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Heather Taylor said her intention was "not to hurt or offend any of my students in any way."

"I assured them all that I am one of their biggest fans and invested in their success."

Though she addressed the concerns, the principal did not retract or apologise for her comments.

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Body shaming can happen to women of any size or shape, and can happen on a public platform when you work in Hollywood. 

Actress Chloe Grace Moretz has spoken out about her firsthand experience with having her physique criticised, and at a seriously young age. 

Chloe spoke to Variety about a horrible instance of body shaming, which happened to her when she was just fifteen. 

 

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'This guy that was my love interest was like, ‘I’d never date you in real life,’ she began.

'I was, ‘What?'” she said. “And he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re too big for me’ – as in my size.”

He was 'one of the only actors that ever made me cry on set,' she continued, declining to name the culprit. 

 

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'I went bawling to my brother and he was like, ‘What happened?’,And I was like, ‘He told me I was too big.’ And my brother was like, ‘What just happened?’ My brother was so angry.'

'I had to pick it up and go back on set and pretend he was a love interest, and it was really hard.'

'It just makes you realise that there are some really bad people out there and for some reason, he felt the need to say that to me.' she continued

 

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'You have to kind of forgive and not forget really, but it was just like wow. It was jarring. I look back on it and I was 15, which is really, really dark.'

Chloe went on to describe another occurrence, in which she was ostracised from her film crew due to the actions of her male co-star.

'They have this inferiority issue and I’m like, ‘You are completely equal to me, you are no different than me. I just happen to be the lead in this movie, and I don’t know why just because you are kind of the smaller character that you’re pushing me into a corner to try and put me down.'”

Kudos to Chloe for speaking out on the dual issues of equality and body shaming.

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This week, yet another instance of mindless body policing occurred which left the mind baffled by the sheer nonsense that is fatphobia.

A recent phenomena that has been sweeping the internet this week is the concept of 'romphims,' a male version of a playsuit. 

Commenting on the development, one Twitter user decided to say that people weighing over 170lbs, or 12 stone, should not be wearing playsuits. 

Last we checked, style didn't have a weight limit, so the attempted trolling obviously caused a little bit of controversy on the social media site. 

The troll did have a few who agreed with him, but most of the viral Twitter thread is now filled with snaps of gorgeous people donning playsuits with pride, weighing 170lbs or more.

Most posts are accompanied by captions like 'lol no' and 'you were saying?,' with responses supporting their choice to wear whatever they want. 

The original troll eventually relented, saying that he had been originally talking about male rompers and that it was a joke, but it was too little, too late. 

While the post may have originally been a joke, it does serve as a reminder that larger people are often encouraged not to participate in fashion, be it through made-up rules dictating what they can or can't wear, or through the limited availability of achingly on-trend plus size fashion options. 

While the plus size style industry has improved greatly over the past few years, these little Twitter posts continue to shame plus size women into feeling like they cannot wear what they want for fear of being judged.

So despite this all starting out as a joke, each snap of a confident, comfortable and stylish woman in a playsuit despite being 'over 170lbs' is a mini victory for the concept of body positivity. 

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Is the word 'fat' offensive?

Technically, no. But the meaning we, as a society, have attached to that little three letter word has made it synonymous with shame and self-hatred.

Bethany Rutter, fashion blogger and writer for Red Online, has spoken out about the issue. In an article posted on the website, Bethany poses the question ‘’why would you be offended when someone considers you plus size?’’

She argues that phrases like ‘curvy’ or ‘plus-sized’ have become the ‘socially-accepted euphemism of choice’ when describing fat bodies and is rejecting the idea that these terms should be seen as polite or non-offensive.

She wrote, ‘’Describing myself as ‘fat’ is not an act of self-hatred, but an act of self-love. It took a long time for me to own it, but I got there, and remain there with defiance and aplomb.’’

Bethany admits that she never hated being fat, in fact she always liked the way she looked, but other people were not convinced that she could actually feel confident about her body.

‘’The problem was everyone else. It was films, magazines, books, my parents, PE lessons at school that made me wonder if I had got it all wrong.’’

It took a while, but Bethany was eventually able to take back control of the word that so many people had used in attempt to hurt or shame her and now uses the word with pride when talking about her body.

‘’I say it with respect and a refusal to participate in a hierarchy where thinness is aspirational, and fat is shameful.’’

‘’I say it to describe a body, to celebrate a body for what it is, not to wound it or treat it with shame.’’

Bethany signed off by asking readers to drop the politeness and simply call her body what it is, fat.

She’s okay with it and you should be too. 

Photo credit: archedeyebrow.com

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Body-shaming is never okay, whether someone is being branded too fat or not curvy enough.

Successful Irish TV personality Vogue Williams has felt the sting of body-shamers recently, but has responded in the best possible way. 

"Getting comments about my weight again," the DJ tweeted.

"Yes I've put on 3.5kg, not bad considering I haven't been able to walk in 2 months…now go away," she finished, dismissing the haters. 

The Dubliner severely injured her knee while training for Channel 4's The Jump earlier this year, and has been on crutches ever since, so understandably maintaining her usual physique probably hasn't been high on her to-do list while she, you know, recovers from a serious sport injury. 

Vogue's fans were understandably shocked by the cruelty of fat-shaming, and offered her words of support.

"Some people have nothing better to be doing," said one. 

We're glad Vogue put the body-shamers in their place with her tweet. 

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The term fat-shaming gets tossed around a lot these days, be it on viral fitness Instagram pages who reveal the reality behind before and after pictures, or on the photos of women who are deemed "brave" for showcasing a body fits in clothes with a label featuring double digits. 

Fat-shaming, for those not in the know, is a term which refers to the action of humiliating someone by mocking them or making critical comments about their size. At least, that's the dictionary definition. 

If you're anything like me and have never really existed in a lean, mean, fat-fighting machine of a body, then you may relate a little bit to what I'm about to say. 

Fat-shaming happens on the daily, it's simply ingrained in our language and the way we describe things.

People say "oh nooo I feel so fat today," to refer to bloating, proving once more that being seen as fat is inherently bad.

Celebrities are praised for shedding the pounds, no matter how dangerous a diet they follow to do so (Beyonce's cayenne pepper and lemon juice, anyone?) while women who gain weight, be it a little or a lot, are often encouraged to see this weight gain as a temporary state, something they must suffer through until they "fit back into their jeans." 

 

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I don't mind admitting that I'm a size 12, which is by no means on the higher end of the clothing size scale.

And yet, I have still had moments where I have been made to feel ashamed for not prescribing to the new decree of a beautiful body. 

It was only recently that I was unceremoniously insulted by a guy at a gig, who, after I joined my friends dancing on the stage, told me that the stage was no place for fat girls.

Obviously this was upsetting, so I couldn't let it slide by. 

Because, as a perceived fatty, I'm hungry for justice, right? 

This incident got me thinking that, whatever amount of humiliation I endured due to this one man's opinion of my physique, to feel that way on a regular basis must be unbearable. 

There are entire Instagram pages dedicated to shaming and policing women's bodies, encouraging them to take up less space, even when they are already at healthy sizes.

Just because their bodies may not necessarily match up with that of a Victoria's Secret model, they are somehow less worthy than their thin and toned counterparts. 

Placing such a high value on a woman's weight completely demeans her as a person.

When that asshat (who I can only assume had gone mad with power) attempted to fat-shame me out of the gig, he wasn't considering who I was as a person, he only cared about my attractiveness, specifically the attractiveness of my body alone. 

The same goes for thin women, who are made to feel like they are "less than a woman" because "real men like curves." 

Body-shaming works both ways, and the obsession with weight dehumanises people and their worth. 

Personally, I'm choosing to practice self love rather than dwelling on the cruel words of strangers, but it's easier said than done.

Until people realise that fat-shaming is even closer than an Instagram comment away, the issue will probably never be rectified.

Seeing people as less than deserving of basic human kindness on the basis of their numeric relationship with gravity seems pretty juvenile, and yet it happens every day, in real life, among adults.

Skinny, fat or in-between, people seem to think that they have some kind right to comment on unsuspecting bodies in a negative manner, and until we all take a stand against body-shaming, it's probably going to continue.

Feature image: Instagram/any.body_co

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Selena Gomez is currently in counselling after being fat shamed for a bikini snap she posted in May. 

The Revival singer told US Weekly that the criticism was so extreme that she had to seek professional help and confessed she was mocked over her body when she would travel.

"I'd land at the airport and people would yell out, 'You're fat!'. It was awful."

But the 23-year-old said it was the first time she heard anybody talk about her figure. 

"I've been working since I was seven, this was the first year I ever dealt with anyone talking about my body."

"Even if I did gain weight, I'm fine. That's what the picture represents."

She also addressed her weight issue in November's upcoming issue of Flare Magazine

"I was really bummed when I found out all that stuff was going on, and that's when I was like, 'I'm so tired of feeling like I'm being pulled down by something'."

But the former Disney star insisted that she has only grown from the negative experience. 

"Each year, I'm becoming more who I am. I have a little more self-awareness. I feel confident and free."

"I'm not going to hide in my room and be depressed."

And we don't blame her, because she looked smoking hot on the cover of her Revival album, which she said felt really good to do. 

"Being naked is amazing," said Selena.

We only wished we looked that good naked, Ms Gomez!

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She remarried last year – to dashing French businessman Jean Bernard Fernandez Versini – and has recently begun filming the 12th series of The X Factor.

But despite her sucess, it seems that Cheryl Fernandez Versini is not immune to criticism.

Indeed, in recent months her continued weight-loss and tiny frame has sparked concern among fans and observers.

Still, the 32-year-old has angrily insisted on several occasions that she is fit, healthy and strong – and that she does eat.

Now she’s come out fighting again – going as far as to call for body-shaming to be made “illegal”.

“It’s bulls***,” she told ES magazine. “Something has to be done, changed, even if it’s done in law.

“I am very happy and very healthy. Every woman has a different body type.”

She went on to tell the publication that she has even cut back on gym sessions.

Meanwhile, her boss Simon Cowell felt compelled to defend her recently – claiming publicly that far from starving herself, she actually “eats like a horse”.

This summer, the singer attributed her noticeable weight-loss to being busy, as well as the stress of losing her father-in-law.

Taking to Twitter a couple of months ago – and evidently feeling particularly irked at the time – the Girls Aloud songstress declared: "I am so sick and tired of it being ok to call somebody too thin or a ‘bag of bones’.

“I would never dream of calling somebody too fat and that they should maybe cut down on their food intake? What is the difference?

“You have no idea what I have been through. Just losing my father in law v recently and everything that comes with that. Not that I am or should justify myself to anyone.”

She continued: "I’m so f***ing sick of people thinking it’s ok to be mean or body shame anyone.”

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The writers at AskMen must be feeling a bit guilty today… at least we hope so.

An article posted by the site came under fire yesterday for claiming that "curves are out" and "thin is in." The piece in question referenced an international academic study which stated that "both men and women consistently rate women with lower body fat and BMI as more attractive."

And the skinnier, the better, it seems. "Realistically there is a point at which people deem someone too skinny, but it’s well south of the average American’s BMI."

To conclude, no more curves because "a little extra cushion for the pushin’ may have been ideal a few thousand years ago, but now we recognise that child-bearing hips aren’t worth much if she’s going to keel over from a heart attack a year from now."

Ouch.

As is to be expected, the article caused a storm on Twitter, with women (and men) everywhere calling out AskMen for sexism and plain rudeness:

Whether they're "in" or not, we still LOVE our curves.

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Pink has never been one to sit back and take criticism, and she proved that in a brilliantly worded note to her haters last night.

The singer took to the red carpet at a cancer benefit over the weekend and looked pretty damn fabulous in her LBD.

As is often unfortunately the way with the internet though, some inconsiderate folks felt it was their duty to criticise Pink's look, sharing her photo with some seriously nasty comments about her weight and image.

Pink took to Twitter to throw some serious shade at her fat shamers, posting a screengrab of a typed open letter in which she brilliantly and eloquently said what she wanted to.

"I can see that some of you are concerned about me from your comments about my weight. You’re referring to the pictures of me from last night’s cancer benefit that I attended to support my dead friend Dr. Maggie DiNome. She was given the Duke Award for her tireless efforts and stellar contributions to the eradication of cancer. But unfortunately, my weight seems much more important to some of you," Pink wrote.

"While I admit that the dress didn’t photograph as well as it did in my kitchen, I will also admit that I felt very pretty. In fact, I feel beautiful. So, my good and concerned peoples, please don’t worry about my. I’m not worried about me. And I’m not worried about you either… I am perfectly fine, perfectly happy, and my healthy, voluptuous and crazy strong body is having some much deserved time off. Thanks for your concern. Love, cheesecake.”

Amazing!

The Raise Your Glass singer also shared some follow-up tweets, sharing the love for her husband Carey Hart and daughter Willow:

We love Pink's positive attitude – it's fierce and fabulous, just like her.

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