THE UPSIDE OF THE TRIPLE ZERO TREND

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Just in case you missed the memo, there is a new size in town. Size zero is old news, and the double zero is so last year. Right now, everyone is obsessed with the trend of becoming a size triple zero.

Yes. It's a thing.

Metro explains: "American shoppers are now able to buy size triple zero clothes; with very small 23-inch waists, the same size waistband in fact as 6-8 year-old girls would typically wear." They go on to talk about "vanity sizing," the Hollywood push to become thinner, and the impracticality of it all. But before we play too much into the dramatics, lets put this concept in context.

See, there isn't anything wrong with having "pencil thin legs" or "sharp collar bones," as many may suggest. Bodies rest at different weights naturally; some of us are small and some are large. Simply a fact of life. I have no idea what size Lizzie Velasquez wears (have you seen her TED talk?), but I'm going to guess its smaller than we think. And it's not because of her quest to become the desirable size; it's because of a rare syndrome that it makes it impossible for her to gain weight. 64 pounds is her bodies natural size. This body type totally exists.

Seeing tiny bodies in our media isn't the problem; the permeation of the thought that smaller bodies are worth more is. Not only because it's simply not true, but because it affects all women whether we know it or not.

So I'm not going to say that a triple zero is an "unnatural" size for everyone; there are obviously exceptions to this statement. Lizzie is, but she's one of two people in the world that have Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome. The point? Triple zero isn't impossible, but highly improbable for the large majority of the world. A fact you might not know: More women report wearing a size 16 than a 0,2, and 4 combined, which goes to show that a 23 inch waist should probably be a moot discussion for almost all women. Most women won't ever be able to attain a triple zero body, and the harm comes from thinking that they must to be found worthy and the journey that follows. The journey paved with failure, self loathing, perceived inadequacy and more.

Because a triple zero is an impossible goal for most women, critics are labeling this trend as "horrifying." Disturbing. Concerning. Cataclysmic. And I get that. But aren't all of societies messages that cause you to hate your body horrifying, disastrous, and cataclysmic? They all take a negative toll on our psyche, body, and life. What I'm trying to say is: the "Triple Zero" phenomenon is just another trend that highlights the extreme inferiority that our society peddles for profit. And while the higher value placed on it is definitely complete bullshit, I propose that the trend might actually have an upside.

The fact that the triple zero body is so unattainable for nearly all of us actually offers this positive opportunity: to band all women together to reject the impossible body standards we see. Until now, we have seen a separation of shapes, "straight sizes" vs. "plus sizes." Women occasionally choose to shoot the other down to build themselves up- thin women calling larger women "lazy" and large women calling thin women "sellouts." Neither of these are true, and maybe it takes a standard that almost no one can truly reach to help us realize that we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. We are ALL told that we are inferior in one way or another; it's time we stop pitting ourselves against each other and start loving ourselves as we are.

Ultimately though, what others decide to do with their bodies is none of my business. If aiming for a 23 inch waist is what they feel is important, well, it's their life and their rules. But I hope for each and every single person that we can learn why we've learned to hate ourselves, how to embrace the body we have, and how to see the beauty in others.

Maybe the absurdity of triple zero will push us all closer to the truth.
One can hope.

What do YOU think of this trend? Horrible? Helpful? Attainable? Ridiculous?
Shout it out!