This Editor Reminds Us That Beauty Comes in All Sizes

"I'm the fattest I've ever been, but I also feel like the prettiest I've ever been." Associate fashion editor at Bustle.com and plus-size editor Marie Southard Ospina is stripping down in the What's Underneath project and wants to talk about fat. She spent most of her young life struggling with her weight and feeling ashamed of her naturally large and curvy shape, because it didn't go along with her family's beauty ideals. After years of eating disorders, losing tons of weight quickly, and feeling more than resentful, she finally felt a breath of fresh air after spending a year in Spain. The message "hide your body" didn't exist there; women wore whatever they wanted no matter what size they were, proudly showing their bodies and feeling confident. Imagine that!

In a time when even children learn to poke their fat and criticize their bodies, Marie's mission is to break away from the idea that being fat is ugly or bad — it's just a characteristic. If you find yourself fat-shaming and struggling with accepting your own body, Marie's honest words are sure to help you feel a little prouder of you for you — not for the size of your body.