Tuesday, January 05, 2010

A skinny gal's response

In the past, I've written about the poor way in which overweight people sometimes get treated. I've also written about the fat acceptance movement -- both the good parts and the parts on which certain elements go way overboard.

Today, I'd like to post the following remark from someone who's been treated poorly because she's NOT overweight.

I find these discussions depressing at best. I'm a "skinny, little bitch" according to quite a few people. The disgust and nastiness shown towards me is far more than I have ever expressed internally or externally to someone overweight, but hey, it is ok, 'cause I'm skinny and I deserve it.

I've been overweight (briefly) and got a great view of how overweight people view skinny people, it isn't nice, it is not attractive and frankly, it pisses me off.

My husband is overweight, always has been. He also has horrible eating habits. Several of his family members are overweight also, they have the same horrible eating habits. The two skinny ones? Well, they don't eat like the others, nor do they weigh like the others.

If eating less didn't work, then bariatric surgery would NOT work. Sure, some folks regain the weight by stretching their stomachs back out and doing exactly what they aren't supposed to do.

I work with a girl that is about 5'2" who is probably close to 400lbs. She swears she never eats. I guess all the times I see her helping herself to the ice cream cooler don't count. Or my friend who swore it was "genetics" and was a vegetarian who would eat cream cheese by the container, or the friend that was a "vegan" but would binge eat anything, once by eating about 4lbs of shepard's pie (yes, there was meat in it).

Now, I have an unhealthy relationship with food, but I adore it. I also understand that it is impossible to create something out of nothing.

We, as a world, are fatter now than ever. Obesity is rampant. The food we eat has more calories per ounce than it needs to, our portion sizes are out of control, what we consider food is laughable. I'm perfectly fine accepting someone for who/how they are, just don't sling bullshit at me.

The amount of people who have actual medical conditions that are responsible for their weight are in no way even close to the majority of obese people.