“I’m a dancer.” “Well today, in rehearsal…” “Sorry, I can’t, I have dance.”

In any short conversation with me, you’re bound to hear at least one of those phrases. I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, and I’m still pursuing the dream I had as a little girl to dance professionally. I’m a modern dancer, which is why I was excited to hear that on this season of MADE, MTV will be making Laura Crow into a modern dancer! This is how MTV describes the episode:

Laura Crow is a hardworking perfectionist struggling with body issues as well as her relationship with her father. Now she’s ready to move past her problems and express how she really feels by being MADE into a Modern Dancer.

Uh oh. There we go: body issues. Eating disorders seem to have become an integral part of our culture’s idea of what it means to be a dancer. In just about every Hollywood movie about dancers, at least one of them has an eating disorder. The most recent example of this is Black Swan, in which Natalie Portman’s character is bulimic. Not to mention the fact that both Portman and Mila Kunis ran around for months talking about how skinny they got for their roles.

The truth is that in order to be a great dancer, you have to be healthy. Dance is incredibly demanding, and professional dancers have long, strenuous days. Plus, it takes a lot of muscle to defy gravity. But because a dancer’s body is his or her instrument, there can be a lot of pressure to look a certain way. Which means that some dancers do suffer from serious body issues. Luckily for me, I was never pressured to lose weight or conform to warped body ideals. But I know that not all dancers are trained in such a positive environment.

However, because the stereotype of the anorexic dancer is so widespread, I often feel that a lot of the pressure for dancers to be overly skinny comes from outside of the dance community. I can’t tell you how often people go on and on with surprise when they see me eat dessert, or even just a full meal. People actually ask me if I’m allowed to do that. I never felt pressure from my dance teachers to eat less, but I certainly feel weird when everyone at a table stares at me while I eat. This attitude hurts dancers who do have body issues, too. Treating eating disorders in such a casual way, as a given thing for dancers, makes it difficult for those who are suffering to come to terms with their problem and get the help they need. Which is why it makes me sad to see MTV tie dancing and disordered eating together once again.

Now, it seems that Laura Crow’s eating disorder is a pre-existing condition, not one that was brought on by dancing. Which means that she’s taking a very brave step in choosing to become a dancer. As I said, when you’re a dancer, there is a lot of scrutiny placed on what you do with your body. For someone who has serious body issues, that could be incredibly difficult.

I can’t help but wonder – is MTV just using this girl for the ratings? In this sneak peek of the episode we see Laura in a dressing room with someone else. Maybe a friend or her MADE coach? She’s trying on a tight leotard and booty shorts. The camera pans up and down her body as she stares at herself in the mirror and talks about how she wishes she could see her hip bones and ribs.

The clip upsets me for several reasons. First, you don’t have to wear clothes like that to dance in. It looks to me like they’ve purposely put a girl who is recovering from an eating disorder in tight clothes that will make her self-conscious. Second, the person in the dressing room with her keeps saying that she “has to accept” that she “isn’t meant to be” really thin. That may be true, but that’s not the kind of thing you say to someone with an eating disorder. The whole problem is that someone with an eating disorder can’t see themself the way a healthy person does. They have a distorted self-image and they can’t just change what they see. The treatment process for eating disorders is long and difficult, and it seems like a pretty awful idea to me to put a girl who is struggling with her body image into skin-tight spandex and then tell her she just has to feel good about it.

To be fair, I haven’t seen the whole episode yet. I’ll have to watch and see what happens.

What do YOU think? Is MTV helping this girl achieve her dreams or using her for ratings?

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. When she’s not dancing or writing, she can be found exploring the city, and let’s be honest, spending way too much time on the internet. Follow her @garnethenderson.

Although the 2011 VMAs that took place this past Sunday were somewhat boring and uneventful, there was a lot of buzz about Demi Lovato’s new look. The “Skyscraper” singer walked the red carpet wearing a tight, body-hugging silver mini-dress with a plunging neckline. She accessorized with some metallic bangles and a pair of Louboutin pumps, and even though 99% of us would never be able to pull off a look like that if we tried, Lovato was subject to a lot of criticism that night.

So what was everyone upset over? Her body.

Before entering a treatment center in October of 2010, Demi was a completely different person. The stress of constantly being in the public eye had really taken a toll on her, forcing her to develop an eating disorder in the process. She had a very, VERY slim frame and almost looked a little unhealthy. After entering the rehabilitation clinic, Lovato was able to recover from her disorder and also recovered from a lot of mental problems. That being said, she obviously gained a little weight.

The weight-gain and her new curvier figure caused the star so much Twitter hate, that she eventually had to tweet out the following:

• @ddlovato: I’ve gained weight. Get over it. That’s what happens when you get out of treatment for an EATING DISORDER.

• @ddlovato: Guess what, I’m healthy and happy, and if you’re hating on my weight, you obviously aren’t. #UNBROKEN

Thing is, I’m a little confused. Sure, Demi definitely gained weight (as you can tell by comparing before and after photos), but who in their right mind would classify her as “fat?” I’d kill to have that body, and I know I’m not alone.

…Or am I? Even though Hollywood has been trying to embrace more full-figured women in the past few years by promoting healthy lifestyles and promoting plus-size stars, I can’t help but feel like people are still constantly pressured to be a size 2. After some of the most beautiful bigger women in the industry shed all their weight (Jennifer Hudson, Raven Symone, Jordin Sparks, etc…), it makes me wonder if that really is the key to success. It’s no secret that Demi has an amazing voice, but will her new body boost or shrink her fan base?

Aside from the Hollywood aspect of it, what does it mean for female body image as a whole? If some people look at Demi’s body and think “fat,” what hope is there for girls who are her size or larger? Should we be embracing healthy bodies instead of just skinny ones? I think as a society, we should embrace and encourage more women to go for the healthy look and not the impossibly tiny look. Maybe if there were more women who looked like Demi proudly flaunting their stuff, we could save a lot of young women from the stress of negative body image.

What do you think about Demi’s new look? Do you think women should aspire to be healthy or just to look their absolute skinniest? 

This “new” disorder is meant to address people who lie about their food intake. Whether they front a healthy diet to friends and secretly deprive themselves in private or pose extreme diets to friends and then proceed to scarf down some oreos when no is around.

Liarexic is just another way of addressing one of the multitudes of eating issues women tend to suffer from. I think lying about food is a very common occurrence among women in college. When girls feel pressure to lose weight but can’t stick to their crazy detox diets, hiding calories can seem easier. I’m just not convinced their phenomena needs it’s own classification.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think this is an issue. I’m just over the phrases. When we start lumping all these terms together—tanorexic, drunkorexic and mommyrexic (had no idea this one even existed until today) it just gets a to be a bit much. Issues, like girls being incredibly shady about their eating habits get lumped together with girls who hit up the tanning beds too much. Dare I say the terms have even gotten a bit cutesy? And anorexia is not something that should be taken lightly.

Also, it seems people are way too quick to call something a disorder or to claim they have discovered a new issue. Girls lie about their food intake sometimes, this isn’t new. It’s sad and true, but we don’t need another fancy-shmancy word to highlight the issue, and at the same time downplay the importance of all of them with this over used cliche.

It is for this reason that the biggest conflict of the latest episode (a tribute to the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show) wasn’t Will and Emma’s will they/won’t they relationship, or Sue’s attempt at backstabbing, or even Finn Hudson’s principal visit: it was something far more simple and undeniably universal: one of the character’s body image issues.

Cory Monteith (YUM) expressed concern when he heard that one of the male cast members would be donning an extremely revealing costume that the episode demanded; he put himself on a crash diet immediately, without even knowing if he would be the man to step into these….um, panties.   If I know Ryan Murphy at all (and I think I do; we’ve chatted about our shared love of boundary-pushing show tunes many times in my imagination), I believe that he wrote this storyline into the script because he knew it would speak to today’s youth.  Because issues with body image and the inevitable slew of problems that come with isn’t just an issue that affects women.

But I have to wonder: why is it considered cute when a male star like Cory Monteith changes his dietary habits and attempts to drop a few sizes?  When his tiny costar Lea Michele lost weight, critics were quick to point fingers.   What people need to realize is that men are susceptible to the unhealthy consequences of body image issues too.

A male friend of mine spoke about the pressure he feels from the media – which is basically to say, every time Matthew McConaughey sheds his shirt (standard), he feels the same sort of envy that almost girl experiences during Victoria’s Secret commercials.   When I was younger, I had another friend who suffered from a male body issues, though to a more dangerous extent.  After he spoke up in class about how he was recovering from a serious case of anorexia, it came as no surprise to me when people started referring to him as “manorexic.”  At the time it made me angry that people chose to poke fun at such a serious issue, but I realize now that they didn’t do it to be cruel – they simply didn’t take a male with body image issues seriously.

The ever-present double standard is clearly in effect here – though in a few ways, it seems the women have drawn the longer end of the straw.   Female body image issues have gotten a lot of attention, and because of this, people seem to be more sensitive to the issue.   We’re slowly moving into a time in which multiple female shapes are celebrated (I really can’t imagine that Kim Kardashian would have been considered so sexy fifteen years ago), but for guys it seems that only one look is acceptable: tall, muscular, yet somehow lean.  In short, if you’re not chiseled to Ken doll perfection, your body isn’t considered great.

Body image issues have certainly been tackled on television before, but leave it to Glee to put a fresh, undeniably relevant spin on it.  Last season they addressed the issue in a way that was so obvious, it almost seemed forced and lacked the impact that the second installment carried.  Mercedes’ discomfort (and eventual reconciliation) with her own body was an inevitable story line for a show of this nature.  But I think it was incredibly brave of Ryan Murphy to put a good-looking guy in this position.  When people see someone like the fictional Finn Hudson, a cute and popular guy with a pretty girlfriend (who comes covered head-to-toe in her own insecurities, but that’s an issue for another time), a person who actually does appear to be very much in shape, they realize that everyone has those days – even people who others view as incredibly attractive.

Not that Amber Riley who plays Mercedes isn’t beautiful, but the whole “curvy girl who is uncomfortable with her weight” is well-worn territory.   Putting a person who resembles someone who most guys have wanted to be at some point or another in a position of vulnerability, on the other hand, sends a really powerful message.

I applaud the writers of Glee for picking up on the fact that male body image is a pervasive, complex, and important issue, and for doing it such an authentic and original way.  If more of these initiatives are taken, it’ll only be a matter of time before the “manorexia” jokes are seen for what they really are: unfair attacks at a serious problem.

In the U.S. one or two out of every 100 students will have an eating disorder. The most common of these are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Sadly, we usually aren’t aware that someone we know has one until it is too late. My friend Tina (not her real name, obviously) suffered alternatively from anorexia and bulimia for years and she agreed to share her story.

Her anorexia began when she was around eleven years old, and continued on and off. When she began to suffer from bulimia, she was fifteen. She used to throw up after every meal, no matter how small it was. On average, that was about three to five times a day. All of this was so that she would reach her ideal weight of eighty to eighty-five pounds, which is the weight she was in 7^th and 8^th grade.

Tina said that before eating a meal, regardless of how hungry she was, she would feel guilty for eating. She would tell herself to go ahead and consume the food, as long as she threw it up afterward. While eating she would feel “disgusted and bloated,” and regret eating at all as soon as she finished. Because of this Tina says, “sometimes I had to force myself to eat.”

“It drove me crazy because I didn’t want to, but I had to or I knew I would go to the hospital. Or if my family was making me, to please them.”

While eating out, so as not to feel as guilty about eating, she would usually order an appetizer or a salad.

“I was always thinking about how fat, stupid, or worthless I was. How imperfect I was. I would look at girls smaller than me and think of ways to get like them. It was a huge mind game for control. I wanted control of my body and how I looked. I hated it but I loved it all the same.”

When asked if she could do things normally, such as play sports and be active with her eating disorder, she admitted that she could, but not for extended periods of time. “I was extremely weak, and often too fatigued to do much of anything.”

Because of constant mood swings and the amount of weight she was losing, people began to take notice of her eating disorder. Still, their reactions were surprising.

“Some people pitied me, and others told me to grow up. Only a handful of people have actually tried to be there for me.”

Eventually, Tina was hospitalized and was given medicine to help her reach a healthy weight. She reached 112 pounds and was released. For all intents and purposes, Tina is better, but it’s a never-ending cycle. “I’m honestly unaware of what I’m doing if I revert back to old habits, which keeps me from seeking the help I need until I’m already considered anorexic or bulimic again.”

But she is on the road to recovery. Tina consciously reminds herself daily of the damage she is doing to her body (her hair would come out in handfuls and her skin was white and pasty), and is attending counseling sessions.

Tina believes that her biggest challenge she faces now would be overcoming her eating disorders completely.

“It is hard to really get past it and stay past it. I slip up quite a bit. Currently, I weigh 98 pounds. Being just 17 and 5 feet 4 inches, I know that is not a healthy weight.”

Tina offers this advice for girls struggling with eating issues:

“My advice would be to get help. No matter how much you don’t want to or how much control you think you have over it, you don’t. I thought I could control it, but I couldn’t. I ended up with hypoglycemia because of it. So please, if you have an eating disorder, don’t be stubborn, get help. To the girls with friends who are struggling, be there for them. Offer to help or be there when they ask for help from their parents, guidance counselors or whoever they feel comfortable asking. Be careful to be gentle with them though and not get frustrated because they don’t listen right away or seem reluctant. Remember, when you have an eating disorder, your mind becomes fragile and you end up hurting everyone around you just as much as you are hurting your own body. There is no such thing as perfection. It is a figment of our imagination. Something far too complex for anyone to be, therefore, unreal.”

While we all might not see eye-to-eye in the quest to define the un-definable “perfect body,” we can all agree that college women have some very strong opinions on the subject. Girls our age are the most affected, and most targeted, by a society that thinks Jessica Simpson is fat, so it’s not surprising that the number of girls with eating disorders has been on the rise. New studies have shown that up to 19% of female college students are bulimic and up to 15% of those without eating disorders display patterns of disordered eating.

I’ve had my own battles with anorexia for four years, and have confronted a few friends with their own eating habits (or lack thereof). I’ve been on both sides of the situation and can tell you than it’s not easy confronting a friend from either point of view. So here are a few do’s and don’ts that will help you when you suspect a friend might be in need.

DO: Educate yourself as much as possible beforehand. Talk to a professional, someone at student health services at your university, or a doctor. There are hundreds of helpful resources on the Internet, as well. Just make sure you know what you’re confronting and you’ll be much more comfortable when it comes time to talk.

DON’T: Make accusations. She’ll feel personally attacked and won’t want to listen to what you have to say. Instead of saying things like, “You never eat!”, focus more on how her behavior is affecting your relationship: “You never go out with us anymore, we miss you.” When my friend first tried to talk to me about it, she simply said “Why won’t you eat? You’re being stupid.” It was not pretty after that.

DO: Prepare to be rejected. Girls with eating disorders will not acknowledge that they have one or admit to anyone else that they do. I denied it for two years, and it was only until I passed out at work while ringing up customers that I realized something was wrong. It’s totally normal for her to be very private and guarded about her habits, so try not to pry. If she rejects your help at first…

DON’T: Give up on her. Patience is number one in this situation. Let her know that you genuinely care about her and her well-being and she will eventually start to open up.

DO: Remember that an eating disorder is not a choice. It is a mental disease that goes much deeper than just wanting to be thin. Those affect by an ED will have low self-confidence, self-worth, and a severely distorted body image that “just starting to eat” will not fix. When I started therapy for mine, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with adult ADHD; it only fueled my quest for perfection.

DON’T: Forget to look at your own habits. Think about how often you talk about other girls’ or celebrities’ bodies, or if you complain about gaining a pound or two and “being fat.” A good friend of mine was bulimic her freshman and sophomore year of college because her best friend and roommate would always judge her own body, which made her feel inferior. Once she transferred schools, my friend was able to live without the fear of being judged and made an amazing recovery.

Having an eating disorder is a scary, dangerous thing. It can lead to depression and even suicide. If you know someone who you suspect might have one (you notice drastic changes in eating habits, she starts to become more private, etc) do not assume that it’s just a phase and she’ll get over it. If caught early, eating disorders are easier to treat, so don’t wait until she reaches the 87lb mark to say something.

Recovery is 100% possible if she is willing and if you are supportive. Even after four years, I was able to turn my life around. While I still have some lingering tendencies (it’s hard for me to eat when I’m stressed out, and a slight weight gain irks me), I wouldn’t have made any sort of improvement without the support of my friends and family.

February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month, and I think it comes at a perfect time.  We could all benefit from a little (or big) boost of self-lovin’ when the holidays are long gone, the weather is cold, and school is starting to get stressful again.

Self-esteem is a major issue in our perfection-driven and celeb-obsessed society, and college-aged women are especially vulnerable.  There’s so much pressure to get straight A’s, pad your resume with extracurriculars, be a social butterfly and a dating expert, and look like a model while doing it all.  It’s so easy for our self-esteem to plummet when expectations for us are sky-high, but letting this happen can actually be dangerous!

Low self-worth puts you at a high risk for eating disorders (experts say that at least 1/5 of college girls suffer from one), and drug use, and can eventually lead to unhealthy relationships and problems in the workplace.  So this month, let’s stop with the self-deprecating and learn to love ourselves!

Need a little help? No problem. We turned to some experts to give us tried-and-true tips to boost our self-esteem. No cheesy mantras here – just real things you can do to make yourself feel better about…yourself.

Kim Brittingham, author of “Read My Hips,” says: Stop comparing yourself to other women. “Focus on being the best YOU
 can be. Trying to live up to or exceed someone else’s personal best is
 a losing game to begin with. We’re too unique; our paths to happiness, 
health and success will vary as much as our DNA. Besides, that kind of
 competitive comparison is a wasteful distraction. Keep your eye on the
 prize — your own, not someone else’s.”

Mary Jones, host of The Mary Jones Show, says: Act confidently. “Research has proven that if you act confidently – even if you’re not feeling it – you will soon feel more confident. Your mind will begin to feel the way your body is acting.”

Shari Berkowitz, Pilates instructor, says: Do Pilates. “Running on a treadmill for 45-60 minutes inside a gym and lifting weights are completely mindless exercises, simply so you can try to achieve those unreasonable images that society puts out.  Pilates, however, is a type of exercise regime with a purpose of creating a balanced body and mind.  It just so happens that this method of exercise develops a long, lean body with great strength and flexibility.  The visual that people (especially women) are looking for is developed, but there is far more to it.  The sort of physical and mental strength that one develops in Pilates is empowering.  This is ‘mindful exercise.’”

Debbie Mandel, author of “Addicted to Stress,” says: Find your passion. “Women follow an endless to-do list, depleting themselves to prove their self-worth. When a woman discovers her passion, what makes her heart sing, she delights in her uniqueness and knows how she differs from others. She values herself, her time and energy. Stress erodes identity,   however, tapping into creativity revives the hidden girl within who had dreams and was spontaneous and natural.”

DeAnna Radaj, Feng Shui specialist, says: Do a Vision Board. “A Vision Board helps the 
person actually DEFINE what self-esteem means to them, allows them to
 visualize what THEY would look/feel like with confidence & self-esteem.
” Once you know what it is that gives you self esteem, you are more capable to go out there and get it.

Jeremy Hamburgh, dating expert, says: Bulletproof yourself. “When women dress stylishly for a
 situation, they feel bulletproof.  The definition of self-esteem is a favorable impression of oneself.  Bulletproofing is one way that women can build that favorable self impression.  What makes it so powerful is that it is self-fulfilling.  When a woman bulletproofs herself, she feels comfortable in her surroundings, which increases her confidence, which causes others to perceive her positively, which makes her feel even more comfortable in her surroundings.”

Selena Rezvani, author of “The Next Generation of Women Leaders,” says: Keep a triumph log. “In life, we tend not to really savor and relish our 
successes. The critical, dissatisfied part of us often booms with
 complaints while the positive, encouraging side of us feebly tries to
get a word in. By keeping a log of your proudest moments, including
 those times that you saw yourself as most courageous or brave, you have 
a ready inventory of accomplishments that can crowd out doubts. Just
 flipping through your victory log will renew your confidence time and
 again.”

Check out the latest headlines about that unique body of yours:

- My morning cup (or 7) of Joe has been my favorite workout buddy for a long time. Not only does it give me energy, but new research proves that it lessens the pain that comes after an intense workout! Caffeine blocks the brain and spinal cord from processing the biochemical adenosine, preventing pain during and after your spin on the stationary bike. You don’t need to drink as much caffeine as I do (shoot…I shouldn’t be drinking as much caffeine as I do!) to feel the benefits. A modest 2 cup serving of java will do the trick. Just don’t go overboard; if you’re heart rate is too high, working out may be more difficult than necessary.

- Still haven’t rid yourself of the Winter blues? Chase away that depression by packing a healthy lunch! Research shows that eating foods with the amino acid tryptophan raises you body’s serotonin levels, battling depression. To pack a brown bag full of this “happy hormone,” toss in a banana, turkey sandwich and some cottage cheese. These three foods are known to have the highest levels of tryptophan. If you’re on the go and feeling low, pick up a delicious Strawberry Nirvana from Jamba Juice. This smoothie is crammed with bananas and other fruit and a sixteen-ounce serving is only 170 calories…now that’s sweet! And if you’re swinging by a coffee shop for your caffeine fix, grab yourself a serving of low-fat cottage cheese to flip that frown upside down.

- Researchers are starting to think that you may follow in your mama’s virginity footsteps. Did she submit her V-Card early on? Your DNA may reveal that you will too! Although societal and cultural aspects play a larger part in determining when you’ll have your first time, your genes can be up to a third of the reason why you will hit the sheets at a certain age. This is most likely attributed to the presence of intense levels of the risk-taking, impulsive DRD4 gene. Ask your mom about her early escapades to see if the apple really doesn’t fall too far from the tree. (That is, if you really want to hear the answer…)

- Do you look up to the healthy lifestyles of those celery-chomping Vegetarians? Well, maybe you shouldn’t envy them so much. Studies show that adolescents and young adults who currently (or have in the past) follow a vegetarian diet are more likely to suffer from eating disorders. Veg-Heads have less control when it comes to binge eating and are more apt to engage in dangerous weight control behaviors such as purging, diet pill popping and abusing laxatives and diuretics. Although a vegetarian diet lessens the risk of obesity, is it really worth the possibly deadly impulses?

Scientists and researchers keep discovering better ways to help our health, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take advantage of the information we have today! While we wait for next week’s brilliant discoveries, be sure to have a coffee with your workout, a banana with your lunch, a birds and the bees talk with your mama and a healthy view on Vegetarianism.

Spring Break is notorious for putting pressure on coeds to slim down just in time for binge drinking and bikinis. While we all want to stay slim or get fit, it’s important to be aware of what is and is not healthy. And comparing your body to those of celebrities is definitely not healthy.

In recent years, various celebrities like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Tyra Banks and, more recently, Jessica Simpson, have been criticized for their curves. This can send the wrong message to girls regarding what is attractive, realistic and normal.

Did you know that 99.9% of images you see in the magazines have been altered in one way or another? Whether it’s the erasing of a blemish or the whittling down of the waist, most pictures are not published in their original state. If we are never exposed to the imperfections of celebrities, how can they possibly serve as healthy, responsible role models?

We blamed Britney Spears for corrupting teenage girls when she danced around in a schoolgirl uniform, but should we have blamed the photo editors for retouching the pictures of an already beautiful teenager? I, for one, looked at pictures of Brit Brit in magazines in high school and only wished my abs could look as toned as hers. I dieted and even did some of her workout moves to get the Britney body. Little did I know that what I thought was the perfect body was only the work of some very talented people and photo editing software.

As we have all seen, the altered images we are exposed to go from the pages of a magazine to the new standard for perfection. And don’t we all want to be perfect?

Well, most of us will never achieve perfection and we should not try, especially when the “perfect” we are going for is fake. This is the sort of thing that causes women to develop unhealthy eating habits and an obsession with controlling their weight. What we should do is stop comparing ourselves to the images we see all around us. What we should do it strive for health, fitness and our personal best.

So, should altering photos be banned? It probably never will, but it is something to think about. Especially knowing the effects it has on women worldwide, and the eating disorder epidemic for young women in this country.

[To see more in depth my photoshop experience watch my this video. It is a must-see for every female that has ever beat herself up over her body imperfections. Looking for a realistic weight loss fitness program just right for you this spring? Pick a plan that works for you, from Valentine's Day to Spring Break, here.]

Are you kidding me? Like, seriously; are you freaking kidding me?

You’re calling Jessica Simpson fat? FAT?! Maybe she put on a few pounds this winter (just like the rest of the population), or maybe she is the victim of a terrible, TERRIBLE, wardrobe malfunction (hello, mom jeans), but the girl is by no means fat.

I won’t even comment on how ridiculous our society is that this is one of the top headlines today. (Ok, yes I will. There are much bigger things happening in this world right now – things that matter – and all I can find online is a picture after picture of Jessica Simpson’s “severe weight gain”?) And who are we that we have the right to call anyone fat? Unless you have a medical degree or some kind of nutrition background, SHUT UP; it’s not your place to comment.

These days it is so easy to bring someone down thanks to the privacy we have behind our computer screens, but that doesn’t mean we should. Especially when the entire purpose of the comments people make is to be mean and hurtful. These comments are not concerned about her health – and she sure doesn’t seem to be at risk for obesity – so why are we even commenting on her figure at all? Does it feel good to see someone else with flaws? Does it make us feel better to be catty, mean bitches?

If anything I think it makes us look even more insecure about our bodies and ourselves.

One Daily News commenter writes, “[She is] well on her way to a massive FUPA, she is losing the only commodity she has, t & a.” So Jessica Simpson is only good for T&A, huh? You may not find her to be the most talented, or talented at all, but she must be doing something right to have had such a lucrative career in music and Hollywood.

I’m going to be honest – to break a woman’s entire persona down into only her body is disgusting and demeaning and I’m sick of it. When we live in a society where 80% of thirteen-year-olds have attempted to lose weight and 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder I think it’s about time we start looking at what we’re saying. I don’t want to go all Chris Crocker via “Leave Britney Alone,” but how about we leave body images alone?