In a society that glorifies the young and ultra-skinny, it is no wonder women and men have decided to take on the challenge of expanding what it means to be “beautiful.”

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign began in 2004 after a study it conducted proved the definition of beauty had become unattainable.

It is exciting and encouraging that people can recognize there is not just one defenition of attractiveness and are open to discussing what it means to them. The focus of many of these discussions is on the topic of weight.

As people with larger figures are given the fair treatment they deserve, a new phenomenon, meant to target men and women on the lighter side of the scale, has emerged.

“Skinny Shaming” is discriminating against those with leaner bodies. It degrades those who look like this because they happen to fit the societal norm of what a desirable body looks like.

Many times, the aggressors feel they have the ability to engage in this type of bullying because being skinny is a form of “privilege,” as described in an article from The Yale Herald. This is not a false idea. Without looking at any other factors of a human’s disposition, it is most likely easier to live in Western society in this day and age as a person of less body weight.

However, this is not an excuse for them to be treated with less respect.

A trend is for bloggers to post memes of thigh gaps with phrases overlaying them like “Push, push until your thighs don’t touch.” Since surfacing, backlash toward them has been extensive. An ABC News article in March of 2013 calls it “unattainable” and “leading to self destructive behavior.”

While no one should strive to look like this, some naturally do. They shouldn’t be scrutinized for this, just as heavier people shouldn’t be judged either.

The breakout summer song, “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor was revolutionary in that it glorified natural beauty and women with more ample bodies, and it was extremely successful. The song sends a great message, except for one line saying, “Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that” as if one’s proportions automatically insinuates their personality and reaction to someone that looks different than them.

Demoralizing a group of people to benefit another serves no benevolent purpose. As a society and culture we need to find a way to see that outer beauty is not a definition, but rather an infinite spectrum where each person has something unique to offer.