Confession: I Hate the Word Skinny

Earlier today when I put my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the coffee table, I noticed one of the headlines on my mother's Allure magazine: "25 diet tips from skinny chicks". I cringed. I really hate the word skinny.
It all comes down to the connotations of the word and skinny has some very negative connotations. If you search the word "skinny" as a tag on almost any blog site, you'll encounter a lot of posts equating being skinny with being perfect or happy. You'll probably also see pro eating disorder quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". When it comes down to it, all of this hype about being skinny really just focuses on depriving yourself and going to extremes to achieve an unlikely result.
Everyone has a different body type. Some girls are naturally thin while others are curvy. There's nothing inherently wrong with either side of the spectrum, as long as you're healthy. I'm petite, always have been, but I have hips and thighs and, even though I eat in moderation and exercise six days a week, I have the classic Puerto Rican butt. Nothing's going to change that short of starving myself and that's why the cultural obsession with being skinny is unrealistic and unhealthy. 
Skinny does not equal healthy. You could be thin as a rail and eat McDonald's every day if you're genetically predisposed to being very thin. Unfair? Maybe, but if you focus on being fit you'll reap more benefits than being able to feel your hip bones. Fitness equates to more energy, more strength, more focus and yes, it will change your body even if it doesn't make you a size 00. 
I'd love to go the rest of my life without having to hear anyone lamenting about how they long to become skinny.

Posted in: body image, fitness, health, self esteem, skinny, thin