Thread: Hey, Skinny

Back when I was underweight, I was every now and then confronted about my weight by strangers. I'd hear things such as: "...and since you have an eating disorder" (by a nurse nonentheless!) and "Think about your eating". And I know a skinny woman who ALWAYS gets shit about her weight.

My point being, simply cuz it's trendy to be thin, doesn't mean that:
a) every thin person has an eating disorder
b) thin people don't have feelings
c) it's okay to go around commenting on someone's low weight.

It sounds more like those people you've quoted were looking out for you because they see your weight as being a health issue. If I went to the doctor, he'd no doubt tell me to lose some weight because it's healthier. That's just how it is.

Being mean to people for being over or underwight is definitely not on however. You wouldn't say anything about somebody having a giant birthmark on their face, or huge ears or horrible teeth or whatever.....

Eat a cheeseburger.



My sis has that problem. She's about 115 pounds soaking wet and about 5'7". Take it in stride. There's not much you can do about it really. Plus it's better than being insulted for being fat. At my worst, I had some asshole yell out "fat cow" to me in a shopping mall parking lot. Lovely fellow that. I can only hope that he fell victim to some hippopotamus somewhere.

Originally Posted by phrogget

But, you did have an eating disorder :P

Yeah, back when I was 16, not last summer, when at worst I weighed like 39 kg. When I had an eating disorder I was still at normal weight

My point is, there are a lot of naturally thin people who get discriminated all the time because people assume that having that thin body makes them enemies or something.

And, my other point is that people should be more thoughtful. "OMG you're so skinny" doesn't get viewed as badly as "OMG you're so fat", when they're essentially the different sides of the same coin. But many skinny people get offended by unthoughtful comments others make regarding their weight.

And even if someone does have an eating disorder, doesn't mean they don't know society views them too thin. I know people who've struggled years with severe anorexia, and when they're finally starting to get better, comments like "Well I see you haven't put on any weight" certainly don't help.

Meh, where's Devi when you need her??

Originally Posted by rubytuesday

Eat a cheeseburger.



My sis has that problem. She's about 115 pounds soaking wet and about 5'7". Take it in stride. There's not much you can do about it really. Plus it's better than being insulted for being fat. At my worst, I had some asshole yell out "fat cow" to me in a shopping mall parking lot. Lovely fellow that. I can only hope that he fell victim to some hippopotamus somewhere.

Thanks, I did. I'm normal now.

That's my point, just there, you said it: "it's better than being insulted for being fat". WHY??? Why does everyone assume that? Some people just can't help being skinny, and it's not their fault.

Because although you may hear the stray comment or two about being two skinny you are not stigmatized like fat people are. For every comment you hear about being too skinny, if you were fat you'd have about a half dozen judgments made against you and be treated accordingly. I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I'd by far, rather be 10 pounds underweight and hear 'eat a cheeseburger' than be 40 pounds overweight and be treated accordingly. It's ugly.

Originally Posted by rubytuesday

Because although you may hear the stray comment or two about being two skinny you are not stigmatized like fat people are. For every comment you hear about being too skinny, if you were fat you'd have about a half dozen judgments made against you and be treated accordingly. I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I'd by far, rather be 10 pounds underweight and hear 'eat a cheeseburger' than be 40 pounds overweight and be treated accordingly. It's ugly.

Yup. Sorry, that's a problem I'd LOVE to have! Somehow the people who are thin, or normal, have no idea how hard it is to lose weight, or what might be causing that weight gain. Most of mine is a result of being diabetic and on insulin. It's a vicious cycle....the more insulin you use, the more weight you gain, which in turn means......guess what? You need more insulin to counteract that weight!

Go cry in a hot fudge sundae!

I get "OMG you're so skinny" all the time. But it's usually followed up by them saying how jealous they are because of what I can get away with. I'd wager a lot of the people who tell you that are just surprised and a bit jealous.

While being perpetually skinny isn't all it's cracked up to be (it makes buffing up that much harder) it's certainly easier to deal with than being overweight and therefore unhealthy. If you're just skinny and not anorexic skinny, then who cares?

Weight gain is also hard. I care, cuz I happen to be friends with a lot of skinny people. And while I hate to say this, society tries harder to make fat people be comfortable than to make skinny people be. There are so many examples: those Big Is Beautiful departments in clothe shops for instance. It's really difficult to find clothes that fit when you're skinny, unless you go and shop in children's departments. I had to ask for the shop to make their smallest pair of jeans even smaller, at extra cost of course. I had to drink these horrid drinks just to gain weight. At the same time everybody was telling me how I'd look better with a little meat on. I'd have to say things like "I don't MEAN to be thin" etc.
Just cuz it's trendy doesn't mean you can discriminate!

Even if you aren't fat or skinny no one wants everyone looking at them and evaluating their appearance, and it's always rude. As a mostly normal-weighted person it has annoyed me in the past when fat people act like I hit the genetic lottery and a normal weight just sort of naturally comes to me - meanwhile I'm supposed to stand there and be okay with you publicly appraising my % of body fat or whatever. It's still awkward and rude.

Of course it's worse for fat people because even though nothing is said, negative assumptions are made about their lifestyle. I've also read that fat people are passed up for promotions, considered stupider on the whole, etc. Most super bones skinny people I assume are ill - unless she seemed to be showing off herself then I might think well maybe she dieted too much thinking she looks hot. Most fat people I assume eat too much. Fat people are more culpable, more condemned.

And while I hate to say this, society tries harder to make fat people be comfortable than to make skinny people be. There are so many examples: those Big Is Beautiful departments in clothe shops for instance.

You're talking out your ass here. If you only had a clue......