Confessions of a Slim Foodie

I read an article about a blogger who felt judged for being skinny. She called for people to “Try being skinny for a year and they’ll understand how hard it is.” She complained that skinny people do not have it easy. While she is grateful to be able to eat whatever she wants, she said, “Being called ‘anorexic,’ people telling you that ‘you need to eat more cause you need meat on your bones,’ ‘do your parents feed you?’ ‘you look hungry,’ people CONSTANTLY measuring your wrist with their hand calling you skinny like you don’t know it already, people asking you where is your butt or where is the rest of your chest” is not okay.

Now, this is what a bigger girl had to say. “Try being at a weight where people automatically think you are lazy, smell bad, dumb, unworthy, or a punchline. The world caters to slim people. Seats on planes, buses, and even movie theaters are made for a specific size and weight. You don’t get a ‘special’ section at stores because you fit into a regular size. You don’t get judged when ordering food. The things you take for granted every single day are nightmares to overweight people. Movements for fat acceptance is ridiculed, and people who are attracted to bigger men and women are called fetishists. You tell me to try to be skinny for a year? I challenge to be fat for a week.”

I may only understand one side to this argument and may be tempted to side with the larger girl because the most annoying comment I’ve heard about my slim stature is, “You're too slim. Are you eating?” But the slim girl is clearly not happy about the constant criticism she gets about her size. I can’t imagine having to constantly endure people looking at me and thinking of me unpleasantly. But at the end of the day, we shouldn’t be focusing on what side has it the hardest. We should respect all sizes and remember that we don’t know the whole story.

We don’t know what makes a person the person. I remember making that statement and someone asked me, “but what if you’re close to the person and you know their lifestyle isn’t great, shouldn’t you say something to them?” Good question. What are your thoughts?

Quotes from Yahoo Lifestyle