I'm going to illicit little sympathy from this rant. But it is something I need to get off of my chest. It is an issue that vexes me on a consistent basis and quite frankly, I am hurt and appalled by some people's lack of discetion on this topic. I am a skinny chick. Don't get me wrong - I am not Nicole Richie skinny. Maybe more along the lines of Paris Hilton. Or i am skinnier than both of them. But I am the skinniest of all my friends and skinnier than the general population. Definitely not emaciated, though.
People see this and think it is perfectly okay to say downright scathing things to me. Let me give you examples of comments that have been thrown at me. And please keep in mind that some of these are from total strangers:
"You are so skinny it is disgusting."
"Do you eat?"
"Are you anorexic?"
"I used to look like you when I was your age. Then I had kids." (thanks)
"Were you just throwing up?" (after returning from the bathroom in a restaurant)
"Oh let's see what skinny people eat." (stranger in the grocery store)
"You are too skinny."
Why do people think this is okay? It is rude, way out of line and hurtful. And people try to cover up their comments by saying they are "concerned". I'M NOT NEAR DEATH. Or even close. And if it were the opposite and I were, say 10 or 20 pounds overweight, nobody would be so "concerned" about my health.I will admit, I have issues with my body and body image. Why? Because of the CONSTANT scrutiny. I am always being judged against what I look like. Does that mean I have an eating disorder? No. Could it ever turn into one? Maybe. So I wish people would mind their own business and focus on what THEY are eating and perhaps leave thin people alone.
Let's look at it from another perspective. We live in a society where more than 60% of the world's population is now overweight. Scary, right? Obesity has now replaced starvation. So just imagine all of the above mentioned statements in reverse, aimed at someone who is overweight. Look:
"You are so fat it is disgusting."
"Do you eat too much?"
"Are you morbidly obese?"
"I used to look like you until I had gastric bypass surgery."
"Were you just binge eating?"
"Hmmmm, let's see what fat people eat."
"You are too fat."
See how hurtful the statements are? People don't realize how words can be so detrimental.
I really feel for Nicole Richie. She is under constant surveillance and accusation and honestly, the story is getting old and tired. Recently, she had a run in with a photographer who said to her "You look disgusting, Nicole. Gain some weight."
How mean is that? Granted, she is unhealthily skinny. I'll admit it. But the poor girl vehemently denies having an eating disorder, blaming her drastic weight loss on stress. It can happen. It happened to me. Sometimes it is not intentional. And yet she is still hounded on a daily basis.
Why can't people just mind their own business? Concern yourself with your own health and your own appearance (if appearance is so important to you) and let the skinny chicks be.
Keep this in mind: If you wouldn't say it to a fat person, don't say it to a skinny person. We have feelings too you know. PERIOD.
