Skinny Isn't the Answer
I've seen a few posts lately rightly defending a woman's right to her size. And yet, the fight goes on. The message just doesn't want to sink in. Please humor me while I throw in my two cents.
See, I'm a skinny bitch. And just so you know, it's not easier for me on this end of the spectrum. There. Feel better?
Oh, I see you don't. Let me explain. There are myths everyone believes only larger women face. See, smaller women face them too. Now, I know larger women get more abuse, don't get me wrong, I'm not belittling that at all. But seriously, the general public has no idea why a person is the size they are unless they're wearing a t-shirt for a cause. I've always been moderately slender, but epilepsy meds and their impact on my appetite have made me moreso. I have a friend who is skinny due to her thyroid issues, not by choice. And upon reflection, I've found the issues of the skinny mirror those of the large.
So for your review: The Issues of the Skinny Bitch
1) I can never find clothes in my size, because the stores/manufactures are biased against people of 'my size'. To find anything that fits I have to go to special stores. Yeah, I hear yah! Large women get to go to Lane Bryant, and at the worst you look matronly. Wee women go to stores that make you look like a ho. No, seriously. Thus I go to Old Navy and the like, and hope I can find a few size 2 and 4′s on the shelf. Occasionally I get lucky, but the pickings are far and few between, and never in the colors I want. *sigh* Oh, and shirts that fit me are loose in the bust. That won't happen to you nice busty large women. If I want things to fit, I have to pay a tailor.
2) Skinny girls don't have to put up with the verbal abuse we large(r) women do. Oh, really? Yes, I'm well aware of the hate speech large women are subjected to, I'd be an idiot to say I didn't overhear it on a regular basis, and yes, it's criminal. But just so you know, even if you got small, you'd still be subject to hate speech. I've had a coworker allude I was anorexic, a friend tell me I was 'wasting away', and I've been told I need to 'eat a sandwich'. Seriously? I eat five times a day, and I still don't have a B cup. WTF? When you're thin other women will tell you they hate you as a backwards compliment, in theory to make you feel 'better', but have no illusions, it's an insult and only reveals jealousy and baggage on their end. Other choice terms overheard: chicken legs, stick figure, Olive Oil.
3) I'm always having to buy new clothes. Don't I know it! You know, when your weight fluctuates by five or ten pounds, regardless if you're small or big, you seem to hit a new size on the clothing rack. Why is this? What are you supposed to do, go out and buy a new wardrobe each time, or have a range of sizes? Well I have a range, and own a number of belts. Sometimes I wish my pants came with those built-in adjusters like my son's do, where you can pull in or loosen up the elastic by a few buttons if need be. Why not for adults too?
4) If I can just lose/gain weight I'll be happy. Yeah? And after you lose 10 pounds, are you just going to want to lose another 10? Is there a realistic end point in sight? I certainly hope so. And by the way, when you lose weight, you lose your breasts. What I wouldn't give for your large women C cups. Heck, a full A cup.
5) People dislike me for being large/small. Of course they do. If you're large, no one wants to be around you because you're an example of someone who can't control their excesses. It's disgusting, right? And if you're small, well then unjust jealously sets in, because how dare you be the epitome of being able to control yourself (when they can't)! How dare you! Yeah, either way you're doomed, and you can't win. Whatever your issue is, don't feel compelled to take it out on me. I'm not your issue. You are. Next, please.
6) I am perpetually hot/cold. If you're large, your fat layer means you're nicely insulated, regardless of the time of year. (Invest in a hand-held fan during summer.) Conversely, if you're teeny, you're freezing your buns off, regardless of the time of year. No happy mediums here.
7) My metabolism sucks. If I don't eat every couple of hours I crash, and it's not pretty. My metabolism is super-high, and when I crash I get seizure-prone. So yeah, I eat often, because I have to, and I have to exercise and eat decent food to keep my body in balance. Now, if my metabolism was low, and I ate all the time, I'd gain weight. It's simple math. Still, my metabolism runs like a train, and if I don't keep up, it's going to hit a wall. Hard. As it is, I'm happy maintaining my present weight. That's my win.
In the end, the answer is simple: be happy with your body, whatever your shape, size, and form. If your body likes a middle ground, yay for you! Sure, if you doctor says to lose or gain weight, do so within reason. (Cause sometimes doctors are extremists too, IMHO.) And be as fit as you can be, cause I want you to live a long healthy life and keep reading my books and drinking my wine and laughing for a long, long time. Oh, and generally loving life, cause that's what we're all here for, right?
Perhaps, if we can get past this obsessive fascination over our weights, we can focus on some deeper issues? For instance: Where our food comes from? What's in our food? How humanely are we treating our food? What chemicals and hormones are added to our food, and how does that impact our bodies? And what are we, besides this one factor known as 'weight'?
