Skinny people (Normal girls represent!)

[Shine]

Originally posted by Dionysus
I hope this can shed some light on understanding racism. Since this is kinda paralell.

I've sat on a panel for prejudice and discrimination before. They had people representing whites, minorities, gays, and then "people of size" (I hate that term).

The similarities and parellels are evident, and it was very interesting to be able to discuss and talk about those similarities.

I personally don't discriminate against anyone except by their personal actions. Many people in this world fail to do that.

[Shine]

Originally posted by SSS1365
One of the most intelligent posts so far

(I was never "indignant" by the way )

[SSS1365]

Originally posted by Shine


I personally don't discriminate against anyone except by their personal actions. Many people in this world fail to do that.

That's the way to view people, and I wish everyone in the world could do that, because there would be way fewer problems... but unfortunately people don't.

Although I never tried to imply that being skinny was as bad as being... well, not... it is interesting when I think about it and compare that point to my personal experiences with race. I know how hurtful it is to be upset about discrimination against people of your race (hispanic in my case) and have others say things like "oh get over it." It happened in a thread on GC! I was like, you're white so you don't know what it's like... what gives you the right to tell me to get over it???

So when I think about it that way, and think about the way some people have misread my posts and some others' posts, I see where you guys are coming from when you say you can't compare the two. But for the record, I didn't see anyone actually trying to say that being skinny was worse than not being skinny... but I can see how it could have been read that way.

[cash78mere]

as someone who has always had a "weight issue", i totally understand where most of y'all are coming from.

i have a friend (she's actually an AEPhi) who has an incurable disease that has ravaged her body. she often weights about 60 pounds, but has been doing better lately and now weighs about 90--which is the largest she's ever been. do you know that people who don't know about her disease actually tell her she's getting big????!!!! and now she's worried about gaining too much weight. i could strangle her when i hear her talk about diets. she's finally getting to be a "normal" size and is already worried about the weight. she's still at least 20 pounds underweight.

my point of the story is that many skinny people DO have serious problems gaining weight and making their bodies more healthy. although i will never experience that, i CAN understand that being skinny doesn't make someone happier, healthier or more attractive. often, it's all in the head. people think "if only i can lose 5, 10, 15... more pounds and things will be better, my body will look "perfect". then these people do lose the weight and still aren't happy.

************************
now, for me, i always have tried to lose weight. i THOUGHT i was cutting out the "bad" things from my diet and eating in moderation and couldn't understand why i wasn't losing weight. i thought i was trying really hard but i was fooling myself.

i finally joined weight watchers 5 weeks ago and it was the BEST thing i could ever do!! i can't believe how much i used to eat--almost 3 times what i am allowed to actually lose weight. i'm down 8.4 pounds and have already dropped a dress size. for the first time in my life, i am SUCCESSFUL in losing weight.

for those of you who are serious about losing some weight, i really have to recommend the program. it has done wonders for me already. my mom, sister, aunt and cousin also joined about a month ago and we have lost almost a combined 50 pounds.

continue to seek support from others, even those on this forum. you CAN do it!!!!!

[RedRoseSAI]

Originally posted by 33girl

some of those gals walking around looking all skinny will come face to face w/ Mr. Metabolism eventually. and then it sucks cause you haven't learned to have healthy habits...sorta like playing piano by ear and not being able to read music.

Ohhhh, I feel you on that one. My days of eating unlimited cheesecake are gone, gone, gone...

[sigmagrrl]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
My boyfriend and I were discussing this issue a couple days ago, and I actually compared it to race relations. I basically said that skinny people can complain about how they can relate to fat people's problems because they get "discriminated" against too, but it's not the same thing at all . . . much like some white people like to pretend that "reverse discrimination" is as painful as the discrimination that minorities face.

An interesting analogy.

Discrimination, taunting, and offensive comments and behavior towards the obese/overweight is the last acceptable form of prejudice. It's an -ism, fatism. And it's so ingrained and accepted, that many people don't realize that they are doing it nor do they feel bad about it either...

[Cloud9]

I don't think that anyone was saying for people to "get over" their appearance perception issues. The thing that's annoying(and apparently a common strategy among people here) is the need to bring other people down to make yourself feel better. "ooh, well those bony skinny girls, just wait, their faces will get hard and soon metabolism will catch up so THERE!" Look, I can sympathize with the sick but that doesn't mean it's ok for them to try to infect me, if you get my analogy...

It's also annoying when supposed "fat" girls, i.e. the ones that really aren't at all, and in fact are often considered more attractive then their curve disabled friends sit around whining "oh my gaaawwwwd, my thighs are touching, I'm sooo fat, I just HAVE to lose some weight, blah blah," and meanwhile they are all sexaliscious and have a billion guys chasing them. C'mon now I've seen some of you people's pictures on the site, and I'm sorry to tell you but in many cases you're not fat, or whales, or whatever the hell you're thinking.

The fact that larger people are on this "lower" side of the spectrum right now is only due to chance. Britney Spears would have been regarded as ugly for being skinny around the turn of the century. In art we can see that in the past reubenesque beauties with supple flesh were worshiped by men. It's always SOMEone/thing that is singled out to be the "norm" at any given time. The "norm" single out the "others" as scape goats, while in relatiation the "others" single out the "norm" until the roles are switched and a new norm emerges.

And actually, you know what, the people we see in the media right now are NOT the norm anyways! AND I'll tell you that in my experience, guys go for the curvaceous full bodied woman over the petite girl the majority of the time in real life, which is the only life that should matter anyways.

Anyways, my point is that ok, obviosly the trend is not fair right now. But that doesn't make it ok to try and tip the scale to the other extreme and make naturally small girls feel bad or quilty for who they are. Rather than putting down slim people, concentrate on putting yourself up. I don't tolerate wallowing in remorse and contempt in friends, and I do my best to do the same for myself. Maybe eventually society will stop being so vindictave and learn to really appreciate everyone that is a part of it rather than always searching for a scape goat.

Do I make sense? Perhaps not..hahaha, but hopefully somebody understands what I'm saying

Originally posted by Cloud9
Do I make sense? Perhaps not..hahaha, but hopefully somebody understands what I'm saying

I think your post was wonderful!!

[SSS1365]

Originally posted by Ginger
I think your post was wonderful!!

I agree, it made perfect sense!

[XOMichelle]

hmm... This kind of discussion always has me going... what is "skinny" and what is "fat"? I try to draw the line based on body fat percentage, although it's hard to measure. Most of the things I've read say that a body fat % of 30 or more is unhealthy, but I haven't found a good source of what % bodyfat is ideal.

To me, being overweight or obese is as ugly as it is unhealthy, so I don't really have a problem with the image pressures that abound. While we shouldn't make ourselves sick (cuz stick skinny is unhealthy too!), we should *want* to be attractive and active! There is nothing wrong with that, in fact I think it's a good way to stay in shape.
-M

BTW, I am 5'6" and weigh about 130-140 lbs depending on the scale (I really don't have a dependable one). So, I'm on the roubust side of the healthy range, and trying to lose 5-10 lbs so I look good in a bikini (which I think is a totally healthy goal... it does not make me sick to want to look good in a bikini!)

[cash78mere]

Originally posted by XOMichelle
BTW, I am 5'6" and weigh about 130-140 lbs depending on the scale (I really don't have a dependable one). So, I'm on the roubust side of the healthy range, and trying to lose 5-10 lbs so I look good in a bikini (which I think is a totally healthy goal... it does not make me sick to want to look good in a bikini!)

see, that's a perfect example of different people's views of fat and skinny.

i think 130 at 5'6" is on the skinny side of healthy! if that is robust, i feel like a cow.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by XOMichelle
.

To me, being overweight or obese is as ugly as it is unhealthy, so I don't really have a problem with the image pressures that abound. While we shouldn't make ourselves sick (cuz stick skinny is unhealthy too!), we should *want* to be attractive and active! There is nothing wrong with that, in fact I think it's a good way to stay in shape.
-M

Wow... that first sentence... I couldn't be more offended.

[James]

Someone likened this topic to race relations. There is some truth to that.

This argument is very emotional for some people therefore normal converation is almost impossible.

When sheer emotion is involved you might as well stop trying to prove your point, because its not about the point you or they are seemingly trying to make. Its about anger and frustration.

So stop trying everyone, whats the point?

[MSSTCY1]

Originally posted by XOMichelle
To me, being overweight or obese is as ugly as it is unhealthy, so I don't really have a problem with the image pressures that abound. While we shouldn't make ourselves sick (cuz stick skinny is unhealthy too!), we should *want* to be attractive and active! There is nothing wrong with that, in fact I think it's a good way to stay in shape.

I'm also offended. By societies standard I am overweight. While I may not be as healthy as others around me that are much slimmer, I am not ugly. I take pride in myself and am comfortable with my body. I know that I will never run around the beach in a bikini, but I am still happy with who I am and how I look. Size is not what determines whether or not a person is attractive. Whether someone is 120 pounds or 220 pounds they can still be attractive, feel good about themselves, and have people like them. My weight has fluctated over a yoyo of 80 pounds since high school, and in all that time through all the phases I have been through I have never once been told that I was ugly. I have never had a problem obtaining or mainting a boyfriend either. I like to think that there are other aspects of myself that people enjoy other than the fact that I am carrying some extra baggage.

[sugar and spice]

I think doctors are quickly learning that the one size fits all approach to weight does not work. I mean, when I'm 120 pounds (at 5'5"), I'm fairly thin . . . usually a size 4. I can count my ribs easily. Yet I know other people at the same height and weight who look puffy, and others at the same height and weight who are emaciated. It depends on your frame size, where you tend to carry your weight, and your fat-to-muscle ratio.

As for the question about healthy body fat, I think the generally accepted figure is 18-25% for women (much lower for men). Of course, the most accurate ways to measure body fat are generally very complicated and/or expensive, so most people don't know their actual body fat.

And as PC as we try to be sometimes . . . lots of fat is generally not attractive. Nobody's saying that a woman who's 5'6" and 160 can't be hot -- but when it's 5'6" and 260, the general public is not going to find that attractive. It may be insulting, but it's also the truth . . . and it's not their fault that they're not attracted to it.