Summer is almost here, and that means it is shorts, T-shirt and bikini season. Many say there is a stigma that goes around that says you must look a certain way, be a certain body type and look appealing to wear bikinis or shorts. But sadly, they are mistaken. It is not just a stigma — body shaming is an epidemic. 

“Ninety-four percent of teenage girls have been body shamed,” according to bullyingstatistics.org. 

This in result can influence young girls to divulge in eating disorders and be a candidate for chronic health risks. Not only is it dangerous to pick on somebody for their weight and dictate what looks good on them for your own personal gain, it is just rude. We see media that spews images of models trying on bikinis and other types of clothing, and that in all honesty takes away from the population of individuals who have a high body mass index.

Not only does body shaming affect women, but also men who are pushed into scrutiny if they do not have the typical body that the media portrays. It is definitely more seen in women, but men are victims of eating disorders, too. 

“In the United States alone, eating disorders will affect 10 million males at some point in their lives,” according to nationaleatingdisorders.com (NEDA). 

“But due in large part to cultural bias, they are much less likely to seek treatment for their eating disorder.” 

So the next time you are with your friends at the beach and whisper, “She really should not be wearing that for her size,” or “He really needs to work out more. He’s letting himself go,” take a moment to reflect and ask yourself — do you think these individuals have heard that enough? 

Do you think they have understood that maybe what they are wearing is not typical for people to wear, that they are not what the media portrays as attractive? Do you think you should mind your own business and go about your day? Probably. 

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