People come in all shapes and sizes, and that's a fact. In today's culture, at least in the United States, generally people want to be skinny, but healthy at the same time. There's been a lot of uproar over too thin models and for women to embrace their curves. I appreciate this, I really do. But what about people who are naturally skinny? There are people who are naturally curvy, or on the larger side. They can't help it, and neither can I.
I am 5'5, and the last time I weighed myself I was 102lbs. Have I lost a little with the stress of school? Yes, I will admit it. But for the most part, I am naturally this way. My BMI is barely above 17, which is clearly underweight by medical standards. But I don't diet, and as unhealthy as it is, don't exercise obsessively (or even regularly at that). My whole family is this way, and I know I'm not alone.
And being skinny is not a walk in the park, let me tell you. Petite clothes are not necessarily for thin people- they are for people who are shorter- 5'4 or less. So finding clothes becomes an issue. Less body fat also equals less curves, making other things hard to shop for as well. There are of course the medical issues too, which is frustrating because sometimes it seems that even medical professionals don't seem to remember the physiology behind some of the issues women can face. Fat stores estrogen. Less fat, less estrogen. Hence a monthly cycle may not necessarily always happen. I had a resident who was rolling his eyes because a patient mentioned that sometimes there would be a couple months in between periods because it was so irregular. The resident simply labeled her as a poor historian, which could in all honesty be correct. But I pointed out that she really may just have an irregular cycle because it's common in young women, especially if thin, and I was brushed aside.
When people make comments like, "Gosh girl, you're so thin! You need to eat something!" they often think it's not hurtful, and perhaps it's even a compliment in a society that desires thinness (is this a word?). But add up all those comments and eventually it can make her think that something is wrong if everyone feels the desire to keep pointing it out, and it can shatter any girl's self-image, especially if you throw around the words eating disorder or anorexia into the mix. I had these phrases thrown at me often in high school, and it was truly frustrating and hurtful for "friends" and classmates casually mentioning that they thought I had an eating disorder or would blow away in the wind. It was hard to overcome the negativity, especially given the double standard that skinny girls can face.
I saw this article today on Yahoo! which is what sparked my desire to blog this: https://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/australian-model-defends-skinniness--declares-she-loves-her--bones-195438967.html
And I have to say, I agree with this 100%. People are always in an uproar about sensitivity of larger people- nobody can make any comments about a woman's weight if they are on the larger side. But less outrage is there if someone is criticizing a woman for being too thin- instead she's just called unhealthy and usually people will comment how disgustingly thin she is and how all her bones stick out. These hurt just as much as calling someone fat. I know that there are definitely times when it seems like everyone has become overly sensitive. Everything can be seen as sexist, or racist or stereotypical to the point where it's almost comical what people are complaining about. But in this case, I do believe there is a valid point. It's time for everyone to be allowed to embrace their natural body, curves or lack thereof without all the negative commentary, or even the backhanded compliments.
