My name is Tiffany Lee; I am currently 16 years old. I am 5' 3 and I weight about 124 lbs , I sound like a healthy teenager right, but guess what? I am considered fat. I might not be fat in American standards, but through a Chinese's eyes I am considered fat. According to the BMI I am in my healthy weight, and taking in account the fact that I am going through puberty, it is completely healthy to gain weight? Right? But why ever since I have gain weight, I feel that I am inferior or ugly? Every time there is a get together between my parents and their friends I always feel targeted, how they will always comment on my weight, how they would always say that I gained weight. They might say those words light heartily but they had no idea how much it would affect a 16 year old girl.

I started viewing myself as inferior; my self esteem regarding my appearance went to 0. I didn't feel the need to wear pretty clothes I settled on wearing plain tees and jeans; it would come to a point that I didn't dare to wear shorts. I started to eat less and exercising more, mind you I didn't want to extremities; but I slowly felt towards my body. Why wasn't I as skinny as other girls? Why wasn't I as pretty? I hated the fact that my own family members like my uncle or aunt would joke about my weight . Do they have any idea how the indirectly hurt my feelings? I guess they didn't. You must be thinking right now, that I have some kind of eating disorder or I am bulimic or anorexic. The answer is I am not, even though those people have said those hurtful things to me or I have had doubts about my body or my feelings have been hurt, I am not the type of person to let that get to me. But guess what? Not all the girls around the world are like this, thousands of girls are now underweight due to stupid commentaries made by people around her.

Beauty standards in Asia are biased, they consider skinny to be beauty, but when the truth is, it is not. Do people actually enjoy seeing girls with sunken cheekbones or fragile bodies walking on the streets? I presume that they don't. Girls nowadays are extremely affected by the people surrounding her and the media that is shown to her. I can say that because I have been affected also. Everywhere you see is celebrities with perfect bodies, but guess what they have trainers they are getting the nutrients that they are supposed to be receiving by day. But does everyone have a nutritionist or a personal trainer? They don't, but they do know that not eating will definitely help them lose weight. Girls age ranging from 13-18 are not eating properly and tons of them are not able to develop or to grow. Girls at these ages are supposed to eat, and grow; it is also the age in which they are more vulnerable of their surroundings. They are vulnerable to the harsh words said by people and how the media make them feel. They will eventually feel neglected and feel the need to lose weight or be anorexic or bulimic when they are perfectly healthy and fine. This is what the world has come to.

I have experienced this kind of humiliation and self doubt. I might have the power to overcome it but not everyone can. Girls will always be girls and care about their appearances, but it should be never driven to extremities. If you are reading this and you are a girl, let me tell you this. You are beautiful, God created you like this and everything God makes is a masterpiece and so are you. Don't ever let harmful commentaries get to you. You always have to remember you are beautiful just the way you are.

By Ginny Tan , Panama