Body Image

I hate being a girl. Why? Because of body image. It seems that girls are supposed to look a certain way—you know, like the gorgeous women who flood TV shows and the silver screen. In short, every female is expected to be hot: thin, fit, tan.

My whole life I have lived with the knowledge that I am not hot. That's just a fact. I have too many pimples and too many curves. I grew up going to school with mean kids who called me fat. With skinny friends who made me feel fat. And therefore with a complex that convinced me that I was fat.

But let me tell you a secret: I am not fat. 

I may not be able to wear the skimpy bikinis that 95 percent of the girls at the pool right now are wearing, and I may not feel entirely comfortable in a modest one-piece bathing suit, which often keeps me from going to the pool at all. But I am not fat.

Should I work out more often? Yes. But not to lose weight. I should work out more so I can be healthier and feel better about myself.

Do I often feel overshadowed by my considerably more traditionally attractive roommates? Yes. But that doesn't mean I am ugly.

Do I usually feel like guys look past me or around me in favor of thinner girls? Oh yes. But those guys don't know what they're missing out on.

It is true that I am short and stout. But it is also true that I am awesome, beautiful, and worth getting to know.