The body positivity movement has been on the rise for a while now, promoting the importance of health over thinness; as well as the idea that you should love and accept your body no matter what size you are. Society is slowly becoming more accepting to different body types. However, body shaming is still yet to be eradicated. Nobody is immune to body shaming, including skinny women. Skinny shaming is a real, existing problem. In particular, naturally thin girls are used to coming under fire for their small frames. Ignorant, hurtful comments are associated with having this smaller body type, which can get even more irritating when natural thinness isn’t always something they can control. So, here are 13 things you should avoid saying to naturally thin girls.
1. “Real women have curves. Only dogs have bones.”
I’ve lost track the amount of times I’ve seen this image circulating the web. Does that mean skinny girls don’t exist? A lack of curves does not indicate a lack of womanhood. It’s great to uplift curvy girls, but there’s no need to do it at the expense of thin girls.
2. “Do you eat?”
No, I filter feed.
3. “Where does it all go?”
My stomach?
4. “You won’t look like that forever. It will all catch up to you one day.”
Thanks for that unsolicited reminder.
5. “Why are you so skinny?”
Double standards are not cool. I have a fast metabolism, but that shouldn’t matter considering you wouldn’t ask a girl why she’s so fat. So why is it appropriate to do so in reverse?
6. “You have no reason to have body insecurities.”
Nobody gets to decide who is and who isn’t allowed to have body problems. Everyone feels pressure from society to look a certain way regardless of their size. After all, we’re only human.
7. “You’re shaped like a twig.”
Nobody wants to be compared to a tree branch.
8. “Your wrists are SO small.”
I’m well-aware of this considering I see my wrists every day, as they are indeed a part of my body.
9. “You don’t need to work out, you’re already thin.”
Just as being a bigger size doesn’t automatically make you unhealthy, being a smaller size does not equate to being healthy. Fitness is for people of all shapes and sizes. Skinny girls have to exercise to be healthy as well.
10. “You look like a child.”
This is a fantastic way to hurt a naturally thin girl’s self-esteem. Bravo.
11. “Eat a cheeseburger.”
Don’t underestimate the amount of food a skinny girl can handle. It’s not our fault the food is processed faster.
12. “I wish I had your problem.”
By saying this, you’re trivializing the issue that thin girl has with her body. Besides, shouldn’t we all want less problems?
Next time you go to comment on a smaller girl’s body, just be aware of what you’re saying. Whether you’re big, small, or somewhere in between, pitting ourselves against one another is not going to promote body positivity for all. It’ll simply destroy any progress that can be made.