"You're so thin! Why don't you eat something?" This is definitely not considered rude. Infact, it's a compliment, right? "You're so huge! Stop eating so much." Now that's downright rude. Isn't it?
Just try reading those statements out loud, and wrap your head around the irony. How can one of them be right and the other wrong? Both are downright unacceptable and don't forget, rude.
Body shaming is wrong. But the lines are still blur as to what is considered 'shaming'. Calling someone fat is hurtful. But shaming people for being skinny is never taken as being rude or even hurtful. The society as a whole, takes being thin as a privilege. So how can calling someone 'thin' ever be hurtful, right?
Before you decide to comment on someone's body, or say anything hurtful, here are a few things to think about.
1. Size doesn't always depend on someone's eating habits
Being fat or thin is not always dependent on what you eat and how much you eat.
This might be a little tricky to understand. While our weight does to a certain degree depend on our eating habits, for some, that just isn't the case. There are people who eat to their heart's content and still manage to remain thin. Then there are those who might eat very little, but end up gaining weight instead.
There are a number of factors that come into play when one's body weight, size and structure are concerned. Eating habits, yes, but also one's genetics, hormonal issues to just one's metabolism, all play an important role. There are certain hormonal issues or imbalances that do not allow a person to gain or lose weight easily.
No, thin people don't always starve themselves to remain thin. Genetics and one's metabolism play an important part in keeping a person a to certain size. A lot of times, whether one has a large frame or a petite frame is out of their control.
2. The illogical beauty standards that have been set by society
The benchmark has been set pretty high when it comes to the way a person "should" look. Weather it was the phase when everyone wanted to be a size zero, or when people expected girls to have curves (since that's what a "real" woman should look like), the expectation that a body must look a certain way has gone way overboard.
In all of this, society forgot to take into consideration the fact that every woman has a differently shaped body. No two people can ever look the same, let alone measure the same. We are humans, not clones!
You cannot expect people to alter their body type to adhere to the ever-changing beauty standards. Expecting a person with a curvy body type to become skinny in a fortnight is bizarre. Expecting a skinny person to eat extra and gain weight is equally absurd.
Unless done for health purposes, one should not have to gain or lose just to look a certain way or appease people around them.
3. Why is being thin considered a privilege?
It might seem like being thin can never be a problem, but that's definitely not the case. Your thin body type makes people believe that it's okay for them to make jokes and openly discuss your body issues. "Don't you eat anything?", "Don't you get food at home?", "Why do you look sick? Maybe you should see a doctor". These aren't very pleasant things to hear either.
The whole body positivity movement is centered around curvy women owning their curves. But what about the ones who are skinny? People need to understand that there are millions of body types, and forcing an opinion on any body type, is unacceptable.
People are skinny, curvy, tall, short, petite or large and that's the reality. Being unhappy with your body is useless and just not worth it. No matter what size you are, as long as you're healthy, you ought to embrace the shape of your body. And if you feel the need to change something, for your own peace of mind, there's always the option of working out and eating a balanced diet to achieve that.
Girls, you are good enough to conquer the world as is!
Comments
