I know I’ve read before about Sophia Bush boycotting Urban Outfitters because they released a shirt that says “Eat Less,” which encourages eating disorders, and there are some articles about it circulating on my Facebook newsfeed. I wholeheartedly agree that the message on that shirt is obviously horrible and problematic; I agree that the company was totally wrong to promote body dysmorphia and eating disorders. I’ll side with Sophia on those points.
But what makes me really upset and offended by her campaign is the slogan “zero is not a size.” For those of you who don’t know much about women’s clothing, our sizes start at 0 (or 00) as the smallest, then 2, then 4, then 6, and so on. I don’t think it’s empowering at all to look down on one body type to validate another.
When I read that article, I almost cried.
Hey, Sophia! I’m a size 0. I’ve struggled with feeling too skinny, having tiny breasts, having a flat butt, and not feeling sexy for so many years, since I was in middle school. I know this might sound like “skinny bitch problems” but it hurts. I sympathize with people who have eating disorders and bad self-image issues, but those kinds of issues apply to people of all sizes. I’ve never been curvaceous and I don’t think my body is perfect. I barely have curves between my waist and hips and reading “zero is not a size” hurts me deeply. Don’t delegitimize my body or my problems.
Instead, let’s celebrate all body types. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and it isn’t productive or inclusive to promote one body size at the expense of degrading another. You’re all beautiful! 0 is a size, but so is 4 and 6 and 8 and 14 and even 32+. Fuck anyone else who tries to tell you differently.