Yup, I just went there!
I have a serious question for ya'll - yes it was inspired by another friend's post but is not aimed at anyone in particular, it's something that's been bumping around in my mind for a long while. Do you see a difference between "fat shaming" and "skinny shaming"?
What I mean is, do you think its okay to say cruel/derogatory/mean/hurtful things about someone because they are fat? If not, have you ever turned around and said something similar because a person is skinny? IE: "Wow that fat person needs to lay off the twinkies" (That is fat shaming) and "That skinny twig needs to eat more!" (Skinny shaming). I have found it interesting that many people find "fat shaming" to be inappropriate but will not even think twice about making a comment about someone who is on the opposite end of the weight scale.
In *both* cases, be it an overweight or underweight person, you often have absolutely *no* idea *why* this person is the way they are. It just baffles me that people will say, "Well so-and-so who is overweight might have a thyroid problem!" but turn around and sneer at "so-and-so" who is a "skinny bitch."
You all know I have skin thick as leather and can let it slide off my back. You also might, or might not know, that I am severely underweight. Always have been, probably always will be. I have several medical conditions that prevent me from gaining weight properly.
I have had people ask me if I have eating disorders, or say offhand comments that are rude and quite hurtful. I've had people tell me I'm "lucky" to be so skinny, and I can't help but look at them in befuddlement. If they had any idea what I go through on a daily basis because of this . . . perhaps they would refrain.
Anyhow, I post this, not in an effort to upset anyone or make them feel like I am calling them out for comments they have made, because I do not mean too. I just want to raise awareness. It's not okay to assume. It's not okay to make judgements.
Do we all do it? Yes. Should we? No . . . but all I ask for is that we all work together on these kinds of things. Next time you make an off-hand comment about a "fat" or "skinny" person, stop and think. It is pertinent to the situation? Is it absolutely necessary? Could it be interpreted as hurtful?
We don't always stop and consider anything more than the obvious - that includes myself!
Signed, a skinny bitch!
I agree completely!! No one considers that a comment about how skinny someone is and why they are that way can hurt just as much as a comment about how big someone is and why. People need to stop and think! A simple question of "would I want to hear this from someone else?" before opening their mouth can stop a foot to mouth scenario in it's tracks!
ReplyDeleteAgreed - I just want to raise awareness that comments about someone's weight EITHER WAY can be hurtful. :)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter had people throw chicken nuggets at her in the school cafeteria and tell her to eat. She ate like a horse, just had a fast metabolism and we later discovered she had absorption issues so her thinness was purely medical. But that was not punished by the school while kids making fun of over weight kids were dragged in to the office for bullying.
ReplyDeleteI remember you mentioning your daughter's problems with this kind of thing - a shame that the school ignored your daughter's bullying. It's what I'm trying to convey - it's not okay to judge and bully a thin person anymore than its okay to do the same to an overweight person.
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