One of the worst things the Internet has popularized is shaming, especially body shaming.

The trolls get away with it because they can remain anonymous, and it causes a lot of grief. Some kids have even committed suicide as a result of this kind of bullying.

So I view the emergence of the new breed of curvy models with delight.

But that doesn’t mean I approve of skinny shaming.

Or any other kind of body shaming.

Growing up is complicated enough without others sitting in judgment on your looks. We do the best we can but Mother Nature rules. We didn’t get to choose our hair or our waistline or our legs. All we can do is make the best of what we got.

And sometimes making the best isn’t easy. Emotional and physical problems get in the way.

Of course, the media influence our ideas about beauty. Of course young people, especially girls, will want to meet generally accepted standards of appearance. And they usually look for guidance in the media.

The fashion police often get carried away – putting undue emphasis on looking lean, for example. (I suppose that’s because the diet industry is such an important source of advertising dollars.)

It got to the point where models were beginning to look like scarecrows.

But I notice that a new breed of model is becoming popular. Models with curves. And it’s about time.

Still, that doesn’t make it OK to criticize others for being too thin.

No matter what you look like, someone might find it shameful.

It’s becoming popular, for example, to shame those whom some folks consider out of shape.

Fitness is great. Working out is admirable. Lying around, eating cheeseburgers and playing video games is deplorable.

But there’s no virtue in shaming those who don’t frequent the gym, who don’t curb their appetites. Sometimes, they really can’t help the way they are.

What others could do for these folks is encourage them to be more active and to eat healthy. And give them a little love along the way. We can’t all be Adonis or Cleopatra. We have to live our lives with the bodies we were given. And genetics has a lot more to do with that than is generally acknowledged.

There was a time when women were prized for their protruding posteriors. Indeed, I’m sure that’s still a beauty standard in some cultures. And it’s quite normal for humans to store fat in their hips – and with men, especially – on their midriffs.

Of course I’m not suggesting that we should overeat and let ourselves get grossly of shape. Fit is good.

But shaming isn’t. I know there’s supposed to be free speech in America, but I think the social media sites should consider banning the trolls who make a practice of shaming others.