I’ve been skinny my entire life. I was born small, I went through adolescence small, and I’m small during my adulthood. Or well, young adulthood. Even though I’m not overweight, I have had and continue to have, issues with my weight. I’m really tired of hearing that I’m too skinny. I’m tired of hearing that I need to eat a cheeseburger. Or “Wow, did you lose weight again? You look sick.” I’ve heard it all my life, and I’m sure I’ll continue hearing it forever, but that doesn’t make it okay. If I wouldn’t call you fat, why are you calling me skinny?
I have never, nor will I ever, mention something about another person’s weight to them, because it’s rude and none of my business. I’ve never told anyone they’re too skinny, nor have I ever told anyone they’re fat. I was raised much better than that. But because I’m skinny, people feel like they can say something about my weight to me. You know, I’ve never understood that. Why does anyone feel compelled to mention anyone else’s weight at all in the first place? Why does my body have anything to do with you? Wait- it doesn’t.
I wouldn’t dream of calling someone fat because that’s incredibly hurtful, and not to mention, cataclysmically uncalled for. Some people gain weight due to health conditions, like PCOS, a thyroid problem in women.
I’ve always been one to believe that all body types are beautiful. Everyone has flaws, sure, but your weight isn’t one of them. The amount of fat on your body does not determine your character. It doesn’t determine your wealth. Why should it determine how beautiful you are? Why should people think it's okay to bring anything weight related up?
In school, I struggled with body dysmorphia. I was always so sure that I looked fat to everyone around me, but really, I was stick-thin. This, naturally, brought on my eating disorder. I suffered from mild anorexia because of the social idea that women are supposed to look a certain way, and I felt like I didn’t fit the mold. I learned to sit with a hand over my stomach so that nobody would see the tiny roll of skin that laid there. This started in 7th grade. Children that age should not be thinking incessantly about their weight and if they look pretty to other people. They shouldn’t be worrying about it to the point of an eating disorder, yet there I was. Someone actually told me that I was a nasty sack of bones, and that has stuck with me for years.
I’m not going to lie and say that I’m happy with my body. It’s pretty okay, but it’s not supermodel gorgeous, and I’m okay with that. I am skinny, though, and I’m really insecure about it. I don’t have many curves. I don’t have the hourglass figure. I don’t even really have any fat on my body and I do look unhealthy, to a point.
My face is naturally thin, and people judge my weight based on the fat, or lack thereof, on my face. You can tell I’ve lost a couple pounds when my eyes start to look gaunt and my skin is pulled tight. My body is thin, and you can see every ounce of fat I gain or lose. Usually, it’s loss, because I struggle to put weight on. No matter what I eat, I can’t gain weight.
I had a lady come up to me in a store recently and the first thing she said to me was, “Wow, you’re so skinny!” She didn’t look happy about it though, she had a smirk on her face and a jealous look in her eye. As usual, my response was, “It's natural. I can’t help it.”
I have friends who talk about their weight, but when I pitch my issues in, they suddenly don’t mean anything because “You’re lucky you’re skinny, I don’t even understand why you’re complaining right now.” I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that my issues don’t actually count because I’m not overweight. I am underweight if anything, and that is just as unhealthy. I’m allowed to talk about my body and how I feel about it just like anyone else is. I’m allowed to not be happy with my weight.
Body shaming in any light is wrong. I don’t care how skinny or fat you are, that has nothing to do with anything. And we shouldn’t be putting one body type down to raise up another, either. There’s a quote that says, “Only dogs like bones. Real men like women with some meat on them.” First, if you’re a “real man” you’re going to love people for who they are, not their BMI. Second of all, why does one have to be unattractive? Why does skinny have to be ugly for curvy to be beautiful? News flash, it doesn’t. Third, who the hell cares what a man thinks about a woman’s body? I didn’t grow this body to please you, dude. Any worthwhile guy will love you for who you are, not what your body looks like.
Big is beautiful.
Thin is beautiful.
Every size in between?
Still beautiful.
