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Discrimination Against Skinny People

I have been thin basically my entire life, with the exception of my pregnancies and the year after having Bubba.  It's mostly genetics.  I honestly don't think I will/could ever be "fat".  Something that has always bugged me about being a "skinny" person are the comments.  Others feel it's fine to comment on my size.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You're too skinny.
Yet, I could never say back to them: You're too fat.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You're so skinny, I can count your ribs.
Yet, I could never say back to them: You're so fat, I can count your rolls.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You're a twig. 
Yet, I could never say back to them: You're a whale.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You're deathly thin. 
Yet, I could never say back to them: You're morbidly obese.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You should really eat more. 
Yet, I could never say back to them: You should really eat less.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: Maybe if you gained weight, you'd have boobs. 
Yet, I could never say back to them: Maybe if you lost weight, you'd have a waist.

Why is it okay for someone to say to me: You're so skinny your pants almost fall off of you. 
Yet, I could never say back to them: You're so fat your pants almost rip at the seams.

Maybe I should start replying to people with these comments.  Maybe I should make it just as inappropriate to call someone skinny as it is to call someone fat.  It can be just as hard for some people to gain weight as it is for others to lose weight.  Being called skinny can hurt just as much as being called fat. 

So the moral of the story is, if you wouldn't say something to an overweight person, don't say the opposite to an underweight person!

Comments

kristin said…
good blog Caroline...laughed out loud!! I hate when people say...you are so lucky you can eat whatever you want. I want to say back...so could you if you would get off your bum and exercise! Keep plugging away girlfriend!!
Unknown said…
Nice!! Its sooo true!
Lizzie said…
Caroline, your post really struck a chord with me and I will keep your comebacks on file! I inherited a high metabolism from my mom and no matter how much I eat I don't gain weight. People can be very unkind with comments such as: sack of bones, you look like a boy, etc. I actually have a hard time finding clothes that fit and salespeople have directed me to the children's department when I ask about small sizes. Does the "Thin" movement exist?
Anonymous said…
your post really does make sense. i have a gene that basically in lamer terms makes me slim for life. i feel like there is such huge discrimination against people with a slim build. for example i was auditioning for our local winter guard on the weapon line. after auditions the instructor came and told me i am wonderful and a fast learner but if i joined the weapon line i would make it look unbalanced because all the girls are much bigger than i. i felt like crying. its not my fault that i can not gain weight or that "fatter" girls ca't even loose weight. the world is so wrong
Anonymous said…
I bumped into your blog after watching a video this morning of an interviewer with President Obama. I found it quite disrespectful of the interviewer to be constantly grabbing Obama's shoulder while conducting the interview. I realized that Obama was being subjected to the stature discrimination.

Stature has been a yard stick of how you're regarded in this society for too long. If you're thin and fit and especially if you're not very tall (in comparison), you're treated as a child and regarded with affectionate condescension.

I'm 5'8", 140 lbs, 41 year old father of 3. It's sadly amusing to note how many times I've heard the word "boy" being thrown around while referring to me in conversation by people younger than I.