Are Weight-Loss Pictures Another Form of Fat-Shaming?

A few months ago, there was a discussion circulating on twitter that weight loss transformation pictures are another form of fat-shaming. At first, I had written off the statement as trolling. However, the more I thought about it the more I could see their point. Ultimately, when one sees a post of a sad looking before picture and happy looking after picture. It could potentially be sending a message that the after body holds more value than the previous body, which for many the previous body is their goal. 

Women of all sizes deserve the right to exist with respect, self-love, and the ability to navigate life without feeling like they NEED to change themselves. While many strive to become their best self and I use this statement a lot, is your best self synonymous with your thinnest self? No, absolutely not! People should make the decision to become their best self as a personal health decision for themselves. The true value in your new phase should come from how you feel and not from how you look. Making a decision to improve your health with weight loss as a byproduct is something that should be celebrated. However, within that journey it is equally as important to celebrate the person you are at every stage, because each person is someone worthy to be proud of.