Why is it okay to make comments to thin people about their weight, but not overweight people?

Question

Why is it socially acceptable to comment on how skinny a very thin, perhaps underweight, person is, but never for an overweight person? For example, you would never say to an overweight person, "Do you eat a lot?" Or, "You need to lose weight, eat less!" But to thin people, who might be considered underweight, they get comments like "Oh, you're so thin! Do you eat?" Or "You need to eat more, you're too skinny" Or"You don't have an eating disorder, do you/" I think to both it's rude and inappropriate and out of line. Skinny people who struggle with being too thin are just as self-conscious about their bodies and their thinness as people who struggle with their being overweight are. Why can't people realize this? By the way, I am basing this question on personal experience---yes, I am thin and struggle with being too thin---I just feel like telling people to get over it and stop making it seem like it's such a big dea

Answer 1

It is rude to ask anyone about their weight. I'm pretty skinny and hate being asked if I ever eat...or worse if I'm anorexic! I agree wholeheartedly with you on this...and I am sick of being asked about my weight by rude people!

Answer 2

In my experience both get comments about their weight. There is a big difference though on how the person is perceived. A thin person is asked with concern, while on the other hand, a fat person is asked with a look of utter disgust. I do agree that neither one should be asked about such a personal subject. Being too thin and too fat is an absolute struggle. Unfortunately in this day and age looks have a high rank of importance, we tend to forget that under all the skin, fat and muslce, we are all the same.

Answer 3

I agree with you my dear. I would never dream of saying anything like that to anyone no matter their size.
Throughout my entire school career I was made fun about my thin frame. I would eat like a horse, and could not seem to put any weight on and I was constantly accused of an eating disorder.
Bottom line, never comment on a persons weight no matter what their weight may be.

Answer 4

Honey it goes both ways, you might not notice the rude commits toward larger people, but they sure do. I'm lucky to be in my weight category, but I struggle to stay there. My sister on the other hand has been thin her whole life, is always putting me down for being the "normal" size for my height. (I'm 5'6" and weigh 135 pounds). She tries to tell me that I should loose weight so we can share clothes. (she is 5'7" and 115 pounds). I feel over weight sometimes, because of her commits, when I know for a fact that she is the one under her weight for her height.

Answer 5

I think its rude too. I am naturally thin and have been attacked a lot by people saying I don't eat but I do eat, trust me.... I eat like a horse! lol I think because so many thin people develop eating disorders, it has become a thing where people assume EVERY thin person does.... naturally thin doesn't exist to them anymore.
Which is sad, there are a lot of naturally thin people out there who eat.

Answer 6

Because society puts "thin" people on a pedestal, most people think thin people are more beautiful. I dealt with that all my childhood years, girls that more endowed felt that they could make rude comments about my weight and get away with it. It's nobodies business how much someone weighs or what they look like.

Answer 7

sometimes i get tired of the skinny comments and questions. and i know that ppl are envious of me because i can watch what i eat, i don't over eat and i exercise. somehow it has become more important for these ppl to sit in front of the tv with the laptop. if you think i look skinny now you should have seen me when i was in iraq and i ate constantly

Answer 8

It is not OK to comment on any body's weight ever.
My Mom was very thin because everything she ate made her sick and she suffered from that her whole life.
I learned from her that skinny people do not need to be reminded that they are thin, they already know.

Answer 9

Oh trust me honey, people do make comments to people who are overweight. They will say things like "You know, if you would eat less, you wouldn't be so fat." It goes both ways. The point is, if you're happy with yourself, then who cares?

Answer 10

It's not OK either way. Exceptionally skinny people a lot of the times aren't that way by choice. It's simply their genetics. And a lot of times they are just as self conscious about it as their fat counterparts.