Being thin should be about being healthy

I changed my outfit four times this morning before I finally decided on one that looked OK. I've felt the humiliation of having to get a bigger size than I normally wear when I'm out shopping. I have asked the dreaded, "Does this make me look fat?" And yes, I've felt the blow to my self esteem as I glance at the cover of "Cosmopolitan" and see the gorgeous, skinny celebrity staring back at me. My guess is I'm not alone.  In fact, I know I'm not. According to the National Eating Disorders Association's website, 80 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with their appearance.

Our culture places a startling emphasis on weight and appearance. Students are bombarded every day with ads for the newest weight loss pill, claiming that we, too, can lose 50 pounds in two days. Magazines, television and movies define our culture's image of beauty and attractiveness by showing us celebrities that look more like Barbie and Ken dolls than actual people. Our culture has us striving for a version of beauty and thinness that is basically unattainable. It's no wonder students struggle so hard with their body image.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association website, a study done of magazines over the course of 20 years showed that nearly 75 percent of ads dealing with exercise and health cited "being more attractive" as the number one reason to exercise.

About 51 percent of the ads cited a need for people to lose weight.

The website also mentions a study of television commercials. According to this survey, one in every four commercials had to do with attractiveness and what is attractive or not. The average teen sees more than 5,000 messages a year that deal with being attractive just on television.

So basically what these advertisements are telling us is that we should exercise because it will make us skinny and more attractive. Screw the health benefits, right? It's all about how we look and what other people think of us. It does not matter that an exercise routine of 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart attack, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and depression. As long as we're skinny, nothing else really matters. How messed up is that? Shouldn't being healthy be the number one focus, not how we look?

The sad part is, many people are so obsessed with being skinny that the health and safety go right out the window.  Our culture's obsession with being thin is literally making us sick. Many people, especially women ages 15 to 24, are so focused on their appearance that they turn to eating disorders. According the website, 10 million females and 1 million males are battling with an eating disorder.

Though they may seem like a quick fix, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia have short- and long-term consequences. Some of the effects of eating disorders include bone density and muscle loss, ulcers, low blood pressure and heart rate, kidney failure and death.

I'm not saying it's OK to be lazy, overweight and unhealthy. What I'm saying is that the emphasis our culture puts on weight and looks is ridiculous. We shouldn't feel like we constantly have to change ourselves and morph into society's version of "pretty." Screw the media and what they have to say. People should exercise to lead a healthier lifestyle, because they think they need to lose an extra five or 10 pounds to be attractive.

Today, many celebrities are redefining what it means to be beautiful. Actresses like Queen Latifah, Amber Riley (who plays Mercedes on "Glee") and Nikki Blonsky (who played Tracy in the 2007 version of "Hairspray") play characters who aren't skinny but are confident and happy with who they are. Jordin Sparks, winner of the sixth season of "American Idol," has done modeling and was a spokesperson for Torrid, a chain of plus-size clothing for teens. These celebrities are proof that you don't have to weigh less than a dime to be successful and happy.

Take a lesson from these celebrities, and take a stand. Be happy with who you are, no matter if you're skinny, fat, short, tall or anything in between.  Everyone always has something they're insecure about, but there's no point in letting it take control of your life. So, enjoy summer. Bust out those tank tops, shorts and swim suits, and wear them with confidence.