Oregon Woman Inspires People Across The Nation With Tweet

GRESHAM, OR — It should go without saying in 2018 that telling your significant other they're getting fat or that they need to lose weight is not a smart move if you hope to have a long, happy future together. Yet it seems some people still haven't figured this out.

Gresham resident Shelby Johnson recently shared this all-important relationship advice with her now ex-boyfriend after he decided to tell her she was getting a "beer gut" during a text exchange about becoming healthier, which Johnson then shared in a March 29 tweet that has since gone viral.

Interviews with multiple news outlets, including ABC and NBC affiliates, more than 40,000 'likes', 12,000 comments, and nearly 6,000 retweets have been complemented by an exponential increase in Twitter followers — most of whom appear to agree with Johnson's take on the whole situation.

“He wrote, ‘the main issue is that your gut might stick out more than mine, and that's just weird,” Johnson told KGW News in Portland. “I did a little bit of crying, a little bit of talking … I think the biggest issue is it's something a lot of girls deal with."

Johnson, a 23-year-old senior at Portland State University, said on Twitter she's struggled with her own body image since high school — only then it was about being too skinny.

Following Johnson's initial tweet, the number of people who identified with her by sharing their own stories and advice has been inspirational, she said.

After seeing his text all over the internet, Johnson's ex-boyfriend — whom she's chosen not to identify — reportedly apologized, admitting he had some growing up to do.

“It saddens me and worries me that he needed me to go viral on Twitter to really see the error of his ways,” Johnson told KGW.

In a later tweet, Johnson added: "He was really unhappy and felt like s---, especially after knowing my tweet went viral. He has told me he’ll use this as a learning experience to be a better person. And here I am, single and free."

But more than focusing on her ex-boyfriend's comments, the break up, or the body-shaming negativity, Johnson hopes this experience helps to inspire body positivity, female empowerment, and self-fulfillment.

Image via Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock