You Don’t Know Someone’s Story
How do you know the amount of fat on someone’s body isn’t caused by PCOS, a condition that can make weight management an uphill battle no matter how hard they try?
How do you know their weight gain isn’t the result of cancer treatments, medications, or the sheer exhaustion of fighting for their life?
How do you know their body isn’t changing because they’re grieving a loved one, struggling to get out of bed, or finding comfort in whatever gets them through the day?
How do you know their extra fat isn’t a sign of healing—a symbol of recovery from an eating disorder that nearly consumed them?
How do you know their weight loss isn’t the side effect of endless sleepless nights, a broken heart, or a marriage falling apart?
The truth is, you don’t.
You don’t know their battles, their pain, their resilience, or their victories. You don’t know the moments of silent courage it took to get out of bed this morning or the tears they’ve cried over a body they’re still learning to accept. You don’t know the history etched into their skin, the memories carried in their stretch marks, or the stories hidden behind their weight gain or loss.
And here’s the thing—you don’t need to know.
Because a body is not an invitation. It’s not a billboard for someone’s life story. It’s not an open door for opinions, assumptions, or judgments. And it is certainly not a reflection of someone’s worth, strength, or beauty.
Yet, we live in a world where people constantly project their own biases and unrealistic ideals onto others. Where we feel entitled to assign value to someone’s body without knowing the first thing about them. Where appearance is unfairly tied to worth, and judgments are made in seconds without a single thought about the person inside.
But here’s the truth: A body is just a body. It changes, it evolves, it adapts. It gains weight, it loses weight, it scars, it stretches, it wrinkles. And every single one of those changes is part of the intricate journey of being human.
So the next time you see someone whose body doesn’t fit into your idea of what’s “acceptable,” pause. Stop yourself before you make a comment or a judgment. Because you don’t know what’s behind the changes you see. You don’t know the battles they’re fighting, the pain they’re carrying, or the healing they’re working toward. And frankly, it’s none of your business.
The amount of fat—or lack thereof—on someone’s body has no bearing on their worth. It doesn’t tell you their story. It doesn’t show you their struggles or their triumphs. It doesn’t reveal their feelings toward their own reflection or the battles raging inside their mind.
What it does show is the beautiful complexity of life—the way bodies change and adapt to everything we go through. And instead of judgment, those changes deserve respect.
So let people be. Extend compassion instead of criticism. Practice silence instead of commentary. Remember that every body you encounter carries a story you’ll never fully know.
And maybe, just maybe, start turning that kindness inward as well. Because your own body is just as deserving of love and acceptance as anyone else’s. Let’s create a world where bodies are simply allowed to exist—without judgment, without scrutiny, and without the weight of unrealistic expectations.