skinny bashing

The size zero debate- yawn. I'm not about to address it.

I was in a car with some friends and the driver said 'Oh, we've slowed down now Selina's weighing down the car!' It didn't really bother me, but imagine if I was obese, or even slightly fat or 'curvy', and he'd said that. It wouldn't be funny at all. I'm not talking about being skinny as a national political rant. But it annoys me that people look down in horror at an especially skinny person and countless celebrities jump on the bandwagon to promote their anti-size zero opinions, when 50% of the population are obese- a massive amount compared to the anorexia numbers.

A study by the National Audit Office has estimated that obesity costs
the NHS at least £500m a year - and the wider economy more than £2bn a
year in lost productivity
-BBC news

They put Beth Ditto on the cover of NME naked and named her the coolest person on the planet, but if they put Nicole Richie on the front naked and proud of her shape it would cause a worldwide uproar.

There are shops like Evans and Simply Be, and plus size sections called 'Inspire' and 'Every Size' in high street stores going up to sizes like 30, which is morbidly obese. But it makes the newspapers when gap starts stocking size 0 jeans. As much as we try to disencourage and highlight the awfulness of anorexia, shouldn't we try as much to prevent obesity, especially to children, where a quarter are.

I could say now that there's nothing wrong with being fat (i was going to write big or curvy, but lets not beat around the bush) but then would it be hypocritical to not say there's nothing wrong with being unhealthily thin, i.e. a size zero? Practically everywhere stocks size 6, so a size 4 which is a size 0 doesn't sound so crazy.

If models with 'unheathly' bmis, such as Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor, will be banned from the runway  it wouldn't seem fair. They're in magazines, which may well be damaging to girls who read them, but in reality how many girls actually look at runways on style.com and in Vogue? How many catwalk models or designers could the average person name? The models that they're targeting may never even be in a magazine or on tv.

Putting Nicole and Amy Winehouse on the cover of Heat or Look will reach thousands of eyes as they write a shocking report on how influential they could be. Well don't show them then. There is only a 'size 00' epidemic because everyone can't stop talking about it.

There are almost seven billion people in the world, and there must be less than 10,000, maybe even 1000, models that frequent runways and magazines. Everyone is different, so isn't it possible that some people may be tall and very thin naturally, just as how it's possible to be born with no arms or one kidney. Some people may just not be as hungry as others. Getting everyone to a healthy size is impossible, but targeting skinny people 24/7 when half of Britain is equally, or even more, unhealthy than the sad celeb they are gasping at is crazy.  Anorexia is an illness, like the millions of illnesses, so why is it talked about ALL THE TIME! Walk onto the street and see straight away the people who are just as bad.

Anorexia definitely should receive attention, so in the future the known and environmental causes can be discouraged and stopped, but everyone has their body hang ups.  I have seriously skinny friends and I have obese friends, who are all extremely beautiful. But if one were to buy some size 0 jeans from gap, and the other some size 26 from Evans, which is more shocking? Which would be targeted as totally unhealthy and demonstrate what's wrong with body image in society and how the perfect body is perceived and how awful celebrity influences are? Exactly.

Comments

[Emily]

Very well said. I completely agree.

x

[Dorian]

You know, I had never thought of this from this point of view. I totally agree with you. obese people may be half of britain's population, but usa consists of like 90% obese/fat people, and i guess so does canada. on the other hand since there are so much of fat people it's kind of logical why is this happening. its easier changing the aestethic icons and tastes, rather than changing nations' habits.

[vairi.]

well said.

i can't tell you how sick i get of people commenting on how "skinny" i am, and how i need to "get some meat on me". i have a perfectly healthy appetite, and i wouldn't even say i'm especially stick-thin, just a size 6/8.

why is it seen as socially acceptable to tell someone they're too thin, but completely unacceptable to tell someone that they could do with losing a few pounds? ugh.

x

[Robin]

I also worry about this. I worry that the "acceptance for everyone" is excluding the thin folks... and it Really hurts me when I hear the phrase "real women have curves".

[selina]

'real women have curves' - that's total rubbish, like saying real women have blue eyes or something! you're right, it shouldn't be used as a good thing.
and 90% in america?! jeez

[Sullen Girl]

Don't be silly, Dorian. The obesity rate in America is 29.5%, which is disgustingly high but let's not over-exaggerate.

I'll agree with you though, Selina; the discrimination against people with a less-than-average BMI has gone beyond the point of people being concerned for their health, but about people actually putting down the way they look (i.e. not "feminine" or "curvy" enough). Women - ALL humans - come in all shapes and sizes; if promoting a BMI of above 25 is now healthy for the body image of humanity everywhere, than so should promoting a BMI of under 18.

It makes me sad that it's become obligatory to turn a nose up at a skinny lass but applaud for a fat one because they're "healthy minded" and "a good role model for the kids." Screw the kids, how about diabetes and heart problems?

Haha... sorry for the novel. Your post was very well written and I totally agree.

[selina]

Exactly sullen girl, it's so unfair to hear that 'men love curves' ALL the time. I'm surprised that america is know for many overweight people when here in the uk the rate is much higher!
Thanks for all your comments, I was expecting a few 'you're just jealous of curves' remarks, or something along those lines, but i'm glad i made what i was trying to say clear!

[Stevie]

This is such an interesting post, and you have such a good point. Being Obsese or anorexic both put a huge strain on your health, and neither should be taken lightly.

But I agree that its odd that only anorexics get a battering in the headlines. I'm not condoning eating disorders myself, I don't have one, but it is a little twisted that it seems acceptable for people to comment on thin people, and its seen as being incredibly Un-PC to say the same things to larger people.

I am naturally slim and am always having people asking me about my figure, but I know that it would be different if I was a size 18.

Hmmmm.... okay I'll shut up now!

S xx