We are living in a world where people are so judgemental, they don’t even think once to comment on anyone.
Everybody deserves to live their life the way they like to, but society becomes so mean sometimes.
Shelly Proebstel was spending the day at Mt Maunganui beach in New Zealand when she was targeted by cruel men who made fun of her physique.
But rather than covering up her body and letting the body-shamers intimidate her, Shelly refused to let their cruel taunts ruin her day.
Writing on her Facebook page Bald and BeaYOUtiful, Shelly hit back at her body-shamers to share an inspirational message with her 3,500 followers.
In a post which has now been liked over 23,000 times, Shelly wrote: “To the guys who pointed and laughed when I took my sarong off today at Mt Mauganui Beach, bearing my sould (my bikini body) to the world, I just want to say (excuse my language but) F*** YOU.
“It’s because of d***heads like you that people are so incredibly insecure about their body image.”
Listing all the ways in which women can feel insecure about their appearance, Shelly added:
“It’s because of people like you that people starve themselves and make themselves sick in an attempt to maintain a ‘model-like figure’.”
Shelly acknowledged that “there was a split second that I almost quickly covered up again” but instead “reminded myself of all I have learned on this journey and I held my head high and stuck my belly out and wore that bikini with pride.”
The body positivity campaigner also shaved her head to “show that beauty is not what you like” but rather “what is inside you!”
Insisting that body-shaming can have a terrifying effect on those who are targeted, the woman wrote: “It’s because of people like you that women don’t feel safe or confident or comfortable to go out in society in something like a bikini, or a crop top, or a short dress or with their midriff showing.
“It’s people like you that people become anorexic, obese, bulimic, self-harm, commit suicide… I could go on.”
Shelly then admitted that body-shamers such as hers were “not responsible for the entirety”, but insists they “have to take some responsibility.”
She added: “Next time you see someone like me on the beach in a bikini or in a situation similar, before you laugh and point, take a moment to think about the damage you may just do.
“Because not every person, young or old, male or female, will have learned to have the thick skin, or the resilience, or the self-confidence, that I do to brush it off.”
The post resonated with a number of her fans and garnered 21,000 likes on Facebook.
It was so popular Miss Proebstel returned with a second post on the topic, thanking everyone for their kind messages and drawing their attention to her size and health.
‘And not that I have to justify myself to anyone but I would just like to make it very clear that I’m a very fit and healthy person (and I work daily to always improve this!),’ she said.
‘I do intense workouts three times a week, I take two dance classes, I do yoga, I enter running events, I walk my dog, I swim, I go for 6km walks on the weekends for fun.
‘I also work in a job where (according to my Fitbit) my heart rate is in an active state for a larger portion of the day than it’s not.
‘I eat very nutritiously and I put a lot of time into preparing healthy and nutritious meals. I am a lot fitter and healthier than a lot of “skinny” people.
‘My weight has nothing to do with poor life choices (regarding exercise or nutrition) but also, it’s none of your f***ing business why my weight is what it is.’