TMWLC: Week 3, Day 3
Day XVII: Have you ever been called fat? Or skinny?
I’ve been called skinny more times than I’ve been called fat, even though the latter was true for the majority of my life. I think it’s just more socially acceptable to point out that someone is thin, even too thin, rather than that they are overweight. Really, I don’t think anyone needs to be commenting on the appearance of other people’s bodies unless to complement them or give medical advice, but that’s beside the point.
Most of the times I was called fat, it was either jokingly or by my doctor. More often, it was implied rather than sad, especially by my family commenting that I shouln’t eat so much or that I might enjoy going to the gym once in a while. Then there was the lovely “well… you’re not that big” when I went out shopping for friends and couldn’t find things that fit. It was never harsh enough to really hurt in the moment, but it made me feel a little insecure over time because I felt more and more than people had a negative view of me and my lifestyle because of the way I looked.
Since I’ve lost weight, I’ve been called skinny a million times. Most of it is positive, telling me that I’ve gotten really skinny, or they can’t believe how skinny I am now, or just offhand comments like “you could probably fit it, you’re really skinny” (aha!). I do get some negative comments, especially from family (never happy) saying that I’m starting to look too skinny and they worry that I don’t eat enough. That annoys me sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt my feelings. I’m not bony and I’m not starving so I don’t really see reason for concern.
