Do you even eat? You're as skinny as a twig. You probably weigh like ninety pounds.
I have repeatedly received such questions and remarks. Some people even ask if I starve myself, or if I'm anorexic.
The truth of the matter is that I do eat. I love food, and I indulge in ice cream, cake, sweets and I adore french fries. But just because I'm tiny, does not mean you have the right to criticize my body... as if I'm any less human than you.
Our millennial society has preached that everyone is beautiful and individually unique. But when it comes to the smaller body shapes, somehow skinny girls aren't, and you have made that quite clear. The truth of it is, is that when you critique skinny people, it can be just as hurtful as when you critique any other body shape. Sometimes we cannot help it. Many of us eat very healthy, work out often, or have very fast metabolisms, and some have a hard time gaining any weight at all. It should not lead to you asking if we are starving ourselves. When did it amount to that?
Skinny shaming is the same as any other types of body shaming.
Shaming someone includes personal attacks which attempts to cause another person to feel guilty about who they are. When you are negatively pointing out how skinny girls are unnaturally small, it is shaming. You should not be pointing out the negative differences between someone else and yourself; it can be very detrimental emotionally and mentally. Just because someone else is not the same as you does not mean you should point it out, as if we were created to look the exact same.
Skinny shaming happens just as often as any other body shaming.
I can't express how many times I've been told to eat more, or pressured to finish a meal even after I'm full, simply because I "need it". The most embarrassing is when someone comments on my smaller size in front of a large group of people, and I must sit and defend my body. Or sometimes, I eat more than I am able because I want to avoid receiving snap remarks on my food intake. Many tend to believe that skinny girls have it better, or easier, but we are criticized just as much. If we are really trying to move towards a body positive movement, then let's look positively at all body shapes. Yes, including the skinny girls.
Skinny shaming sucks, and it definitely sticks.
Skinny shaming is a type of bullying. Yes, I did just say that. Any insulting verbal attack which is intended to hurt another person is bullying. When someone comments on my smaller size, it is hurtful, and it does leave an impact on how I see myself. It is tiring to constantly be knocked down in regards to my body shape. You may intend for something to be a joke, but I do remember it, and even if I laugh, I am not laughing inside. I am well aware that I am skinny, but I do not need you continually reminding me.
The phrase sticks and stones may break my bones, but words never hurt me, is a lie. Words do hurt.
And while I may look like I am unusually tiny, underweight, or skinny, I am no less human than you. We should be building up, not tearing down.
Let's encourage one another, and defeat all kinds of shaming...even the shaming directed at those tiny, skinny girls.
We have feelings too.
