“Love the skin you’re in,” “love yourself,” and “BeYOUtiful” are common messages the media spouts all the time, but it undermines the actual meaning of these messages.

A person’s weight is not divided into “fat” and “skinny”; countless other factors contribute to his or her body image.

A person could have potentially negative opinions that influence body image.  Being sensitive to another’s insecurities can improve their body image.

Of these issues, three are likely to be discredited as “not a real problem.” Skinny shaming, losing weight for sports to fit a status quo, and the mental mindset ingrained in American culture are prominent factors.

Some people argue that these points of insecurity should not make a person self-conscious; they need to be more confident. However, a person’s lack of self-esteem does not lie in whether or not their poor body image is a reality, but if they believe it to be so. Empathy for others is always better than discrediting them.

Criticizing people because they weigh less than average is as much of a problem as making fun of people who weigh more than average. In an effort to make people who weigh more feel better, our culture has reversed and started to make people who are skinnier feel worse.

“Telling people to gain weight or eat more is the same thing as telling someone they are fat and need to go on the diet. You don’t know what thoughts could be triggered with our negative comments,” said Carmen Verbeke, sophomore.

The mindset of American culture influences a person’s body image. Everything the media advertises has a hidden message that affects a person’s outlook on the world.

“The media tells people to look a certain way. Despite positive message from other sources, it’s hard to ignore the negative ones,” says Caroline Holden, junior. There is an epidemic of self-hatred in our culture. It has become a social norm to have a negative body image.

Being aware that everyone has their own self-confidence issues is essential to healing. People cannot be put in a nice little box. Everyone is different and special in their own way.