But then, the truth was never really the point....

23rd February 2012

But then, the truth was never really the point. Thin women don’t tell their fat friends ‘You’re not fat’ because they’re confused about the dictionary definition of the word, or their eyes are broken, or they were raised on planets where size 24 is the average for women. They don’t say it because it’s the truth. They say it because fat does not mean just fat in this culture. It can also mean any or all of the following:

Ugly
Unhealthy
Smelly
Lazy
Ignorant
Undisciplined
Unlovable
Burdensome
Embarrassing
Unfashionable
Mean
Angry
Socially inept
Just plain icky

So when they say ‘You’re not fat,’ what they really mean is ‘You’re not a dozen nasty things I associate with the word fat.’ The size of your body is not what’s in question; a tape measure or a mirror could solve that dispute. What’s in question is your goodness, your lovability, your intelligence, your kindness, your attractiveness. And your friends, not surprisingly, are inclined to believe you get high marks in all those categories. Ergo, you couldn’t possibly be fat.

—

Kate Harding (via rhiannon-random)

another example of thin privilege, your body type doesn’t carry these negative synonyms

(via fatcatsandcurls)

I completely agree with this quote. The fact that body type words carry huge cruel and unwarranted definitions. It’s true and it’s awful.

But I get rather up in arms when I’m hit with the “skinny-privilege” line. Like I don’t know how lucky I am or something.

As a skinny person let me tell you I have been equated to being frigid, sickly, and disturbing to look at because of my body type. People just assume I have an eating disorder. School kids were cruel to me too. I was the other kid picked last for teams every time. I got pushed by teachers to work out more because I was underweight. People watched me eat to. I watched them consider whether I was anorexic if I said I wasn’t hungry. I felt them stare at me when i did eat with envy (which is not a nice thing, don’t try to convince me it’s nice thing) or wonder if I was bulimic.

Generally all my life I’ve gotten the backlash of people who hold it against me that i’m small or, better case scenario, worry out loud that I’m ill. I’ve had strangers at work think it’s totally fine to discuss my size in front of me, stress how /tiny/ I am. and it isn’t pretty-tiny, it’s how-do-you-survive-tiny. And for some reason that’s okay? To just bring my body type into the conversation with backhanded compliments that barely conceal how much it bothers them that I am small.

Every time my boyfriend mentions I’ve had a therapist to someone who’s seen me the first thing they ask is “oh my gosh! does she have an eating disorder?”

It hurts to be judged and to have your short comings or negative issues incorrectly just assumed. No matter what shape you are.

Body love goes both ways. It’s loving yourself the way you are and everyone else for the unique size and shape they are.

(via cassandraleeds)

Tagged: yes what is this 'thin privilege' shit i say as a recovering anorexic