Thick is supposedly the new skinny

In this age of body acceptance, and there are all kinds of articles out there about how everybody is human, and that every gender comes in different shapes, sizes, colors, heights and personalities. Humans should not only be happy with who they are, but be proud of it and supportive of others no matter where they come from.

We are spouses, parents, siblings and family and friends to each other, all uniquely different and that's what makes us wonderful.

Let's all join hands and insert the inevitable "Kum ba yah" moment here.

Wouldn't that be wonderful, if we could all just have our body-shaming ways done away with and we could all see the beauty that lies beneath appearance and learn to accept each other for who we are?

Before we get into the second lyric of Kum ba yah, maybe we should take a moment and consider that spiritual campfire song that every boy/girl scout or summer camp kid - and maybe a few of you old-school hippies or new-age millennials and hipsters out there - has sang at least once since the 1930s.

The spiritual folk song is normally associated with the closeness and compassion of humanity the bonds of faith and love.

However, our recent culture has been using it in more satirical or cynical ways which suggest false moralizing, hypocrisy, or naively optimistic views of the world and human nature.

To take something so enriching - this international language of music and the emotional and spiritual power it has to bring together people in a state of joy that can positively impact our culture, our world - and make it a mockery and derisive.

It's facetious to say the least.

Body shaming is a serious problem that impacts a victim on such a personal level of discrimination that they may never be able to overcome the pain.

Has humanity reached a point where we are all so self loathing of ourselves that the only way we can feel good is to project our own personal pain on others?

Developing healthy mental attitudes and a positive body image is important not just to girls and women, but for everyone male or female.

If a parent sees a monster in the mirror, that impacts the way their children see themselves, and how they see others.

True, there are overweight people in the world around us. I am one of them.

I see that monster in the mirror everyday, and I try to avoid looking at it as much as possible. I haven't brushed my teeth in front of a mirror in years.

I love to use the Higi health monitoring machines to keep track of my blood pressure, but hate that it tells me I'm obese because my body mass index is too high.

I have a 60/40 split, and I hate that 40 percent fat number.

I'm over 50, and trust me, it's hard to get rid of that stuff.

Think I was born at the wrong time. In early history, the standard of beauty was to be robust, which showed a woman could survive and be fertile to procreate as much as possible. I imagine it had a bit to do with having something to hold on to and keep warm with at night too.

I have an hour-glass figure, just have to stand sideways to see it. And although I have a few health problems from being an older woman, I'm still in good health overall. I have a lot to offer this world in which I'm a part of.

And so does everyone, no matter their body shape, size or color. We're in this together, so let's put a smile on our faces, grab hands and sing...