Kat’s Takes On the Trend of Skinny-Shaming

I read another piece from Thought Catalog titled "5 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Skinny Chick" and it reminded me of when I was younger. Like Fat-Shaming, Skinny-Shaming is not ok.

Photo: Sergey Galushko

I came across an article from Thought Catalog today, and it reminded me of, well... me. You may remember a while back when I wrote about being bullied when I was a kid. I told you how I was really exceptionally thin and how I was teased and made fun of.

I was extremely thin – not malnourished, just thin. It took me the summer between my junior and senior year of high school to break 100 pounds. I hit 102 that summer, and I could out eat half the guys on the football team. I was called names – a lot. Stick girl. Bean Pole. Toothpick… and then there were the full statements, If she turns sideways she’ll disappear.

Even as an adult, until about the time I turned 30, I was still thin. In fact, at a former place of employment, when I would pass by the general manager, he would say things to me like, "You need to eat a cheeseburger." Again, I ate all the time, but my metabolism had not slowed like it has now. I was very thin. Comments like those are outraging. It is hurtful and it is not ok.

In the piece from TC the writer describes perfectly every thought I have ever had about someone telling me I need to eat... or suggesting that I was sick or unhealthy.

From TC:
How would a larger woman feel if someone told them, “Slow down on those cheeseburgers, girl!”? I doubt that would go over too well. See? Double-standard. Both statements make someone doubt how they feel about themselves and it affects their confidence in a big way.

When I was about 16, I actually had a high school gym teacher, in front of the entire class, tell me that I looked like "an Ethiopian." A TEACHER said this to me. I went home in tears that day. I am learning to love my body, just the way it is but every time I hear someone criticize someone else's weight or size, that inner gangling, awkward kid back in high school starts to come out. The point of all of this is that we cannot judge others on their personal appearance. Some of us are naturally thin. Some of us are naturally thick. Some tall. Some short. Blonde. Brunette... you get the idea. We need to stop Shaming and start accepting people, as they are. I am no longer the super skinny girl that I use to be, and that's okay with me.

Read About the Thought Catalog Piece That Had Kat Fired Up

Filed Under: Bullying, kat mykals, opinion

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