Body shaming is 100% okay because it motivates people to be healthier. Or, at least, that's what people want to think. In one study, it was found that 94% of teenage girls and 65% of teenage boys have experienced body shaming. If the majority of teenagers have experienced body shaming, and the majority of teenagers are at a healthy weight, then maybe “motivating people to be healthier” may be more far-fetched than most people think. Body shaming is not okay at all because it can affect both physical and mental health. 

Body shaming can have the opposite effect of what is intended. In the article Fat Shaming,it states, “Our results show that weight discrimination does not encourage weight loss, and suggest that it may even exacerbate weight gain”…”Previous studies have found that people who experience discrimination report comfort eating. Stress..can increase appetite” While most people who body shame overweight people do it so that they may lose weight, body shaming can lead to MORE weight gain. 

Furthermore, body shaming can also be a factor in mental health issues. The article Body Shaming Casts Ugly Shadow on Mental Health explains, "We have been getting cases where women are struggling with self-image…they may experience depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and relationship issues.” Constantly getting told you aren't good enough can be detrimental to your mental health

As an Asian American, its normal for people to comment on others weight, even as a greeting. “You’ve lost some weight!” “You’ve gained a few pounds” aren’t surprising things to hear on a regular basis. I remember going on a trip to korea, where many relatives I had never met commented on how I gained some weight, or how much prettier I’d be if i shed a couple pounds. This not only bothered me and mentally affected me, but it put into perspective just a small sliver of what some people go through every single day. One interviewee from the article Fat-Shaming Fuels Stigma and Discourages People from Seeking Help states, "We constantly face misunderstanding and stigma from others. They think that our body shape is a result of us not working hard enough, but they don't know how much work we've put in and how frustrated we become when we don't see results."

Often times people judge and make comments towards others for being different without realizing that there is a real, struggling person behind an initial judgment towards them, whos experiences and thoughts are unique and shouldnt be minimized. People should be mindful of how they treat others based on their body/appearance because it affects people both physically and mentally and can make a person unhealthier.

Works Cited

Sawant, Anagha. "Body Shaming Casts Ugly Shadow on Mental Health: Size Doesn't Matter | Victims of Body Shaming Say they Faced Depression, Anxiety." DNA : Daily News & Analysis, Apr 08, 2019. ProQuest, proquest.com/newspapers/body-shaming-casts-ugly-shadow-on-mental-health/docview/2204361819/se-2 Links to an external site.. 

Walton, Gregory, and Edward Malnick. "Fat Shaming 'Makes People Eat More rather than Less'." Telegraph.co.uk, Sep 11, 2014. ProQuest, proquest.com/newspapers/fat-shaming-makes-people-eat-more-rather-than/docview/2265992550/se-2.

Wei, Tham K. "Fat-Shaming Fuels Stigma and Discourages People from Seeking Help." Straits Times, Mar 25, 2023. ProQuest, proquest.com/newspapers/fat-shaming-fuels-stigma-discourages-people/docview/2802596446/se-2.