Is There a Skinny Privilege?
Or is it all just a myth?
I have grown up in both categories, I was a large size going through my teenage years. I was into adult sizes way before I should have been. I just loved food and nothing was stopping me from indulging in that chocolate cake.
Until I reached the age of 16–17ish when the social expectations started to be noticed by myself. I was aware of my size and decided I wanted to change. I put myself into a diet, and eventually, I shifted enough weight to be deemed “skinny”
A couple of people I knew were like that, they fluctuated through sizes as they dieted, reached a good weight then ate excessively again. It’s a cycle a lot of people find themselves in.
The hardest battle to overcome is the mental one. Not to mention how society can make you feel just because of your appearance.
Being “fat”
As I matured I become to realize I was treated differently to people around me. The pretty and popular girls always were skinny, wearing tight-cropped clothes and always being complimented.
It felt like no matter what they wore, they would always receive compliments, while I never received any because my clothes looked different on me.
The easiest and one of the most effective insults to hurl at someone is,
Your fat!
It’s one I heard one too many while growing up. People would call you it in any situation and be less likely to compliment you.
A privilege taken away from you is your friends and confidence, it gets destroyed as you don’t meet the expectations so feel excluded and could become bullied or separated from groups.
All of the supermodels are skinny, they have a strict diet which again receives only praise.
You do get more dirty looks and more older people shaking their heads and being shocked at why you’re bigger than you are “meant to be” but this only leads to the next stage in my life.
Being “skinny”
I’m currently 20 years old and have been classed as “skinny” for about 2–3 years now. Things have changed and for the better.
People are more likely to smile at you, making you feel more welcome, you receive a lot more compliments, and get more confidence about yourself.
You also get a different feeling I didn’t think I would get, I feel like I fit into society better now that I look more like everyone else, but being thinner comes with a lot more discipline in your life.
You are trapped in a cycle of dieting basically forever, or like me, you develop an eating disorder. You also are missing out on fun times that you might not have had, such as takeaways regularly or having desert after dinner.
I think the way society looks and judges you needs to change, it’s not fair to put these expectations on everyone as it can become too much for some.
People should be treated equally for looking however they want as if they are a kind person then it doesn’t matter, personality is the most important trait.
Have you ever experienced this privilege?
Thank you for reading! Please clap if you enjoyed :)
