America Ferrara has always been one of my favourite Hollywood actresses. Not only is she the star of Ugly Betty and Superstore, but she’s always embraced both her cultural identity and her curves. When I saw this photo of her from the Emmy’s last Sunday, I had mixed feelings. First, I felt shocked and thought, “Who is this?”. I truly didn’t recognize the much more svelte version of herself. Then, I felt betrayed by her body changes, as if she doesn’t have the right to be any shape and size she chooses. But I felt she no longer represented the curvy population and all she stood for in an industry of essentially one type of body. Finally, I felt awakened to the fact that, despite my hatred for people commenting on and often judging my body, I was judging America. Part of the reason girls and women alike don’t feel more beautiful is that we simultaneously fear judgment by onlookers while casting judgement on those we look at. Nobody gets to “weigh in” on anyone else’s body. Someone else’s health journey is not our concern. Unfortunately, we are culturally conditioned to spend an inordinate amount of time on our appearance,…...