I don’t really have anything school related to write about, so I’m just going to write about something that’s been bugging me lately.  Most of the women in my family are pretty thin, my grandma, aunt and mom have all done their fair share of modeling, and all have pretty good bodies.  My sister and I, though are naturally curvy and have meat on our bones. It’s not that either of us is unhealthy, we are just naturally not as thin. I’ve had my fair share of body struggles and for the most part I’ve moved past them. My sister however, is 12 and very susceptible to the comments and opinions of others about her appearance.  You’d think most of this criticism would come from others, but lately I’ve noticed a lot of snarky comments coming from my family themselves.  The other day my grandmother made a snarky comment about my sister and I making rice, remarking on how many carbs were in it, while she was eating a burrito with rice and refried beans. It came off to me like she was telling us to watch our figures and basically not eat, but it was okay for her to indulge because she’s naturally skinny. I can move past these things for the most part, but I know they hurt her and it hurts me to see her self-esteem lowered by members of our own family. I won’t go into detail, but this happens regularly from my mom and aunt as well, and she’s admitted to me multiple times that she’s gone without eating at home to avoid comments from them.

Family is supposed to be your support system, to make you feel good about yourself, but instead my family tears their children down over something they cannot change. I’ll admit, I’m not always super nice, but making negative remarks about someone’s weight, physical appearance or how much they do or don’t eat can be damaging and scarring, and it is not okay.