“Twiggy”
“You need to eat more”
“Skinny prick”
“Oh my god I can fit my whole hand around your wrist”
“I feel like you’re gonna snap when I hug you”
“Anorexic”
“Your outfit would look better with a padded bra”
“Guys like meat to hold on to”
“We’ll need to fatten you up”
“How do you find clothes that fit you?”
These are all real things that real people have said to people who are naturally quite thin. Imagine thinking that you had the right to comment on someone’s weight, whether you thought what you was saying was a compliment. Calling someone skinny is the exact same thing as calling someone fat but when that happens people either laugh along or get called a bully. However, when us smaller people are told our hips look amazing because they stick through our skin we’re meant to smile, say thanks and accept it as a compliment.
Yes, skinny-bashing is a real thing and it happens. Telling someone that they’re skinny does a lot more harm than it does good. For starters, we should be living in a world where someone else’s weight is none of our business but it really is at the forefront of some people’s minds.
There are such things as an ‘ideal’ weight in which we should strive for in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you’re not the ideal weight for your age and height then it may cause health issues. But what happens when you don’t make that ideal weight and fall quite far behind it? In my experience, you get complimented on your stick thin figure and diminished because no matter what you do you just can’t seem to put the weight on. But does that mean we’re unhealthy? No.
I’m quite healthy and so are SO many other people who are on the smaller side. Yes some of us can probably eat 10 big macs and not put on any weight and yes some of us can also eat half of what you eat but either way that doesn’t mean you have the right to comment on our portion sizes, our body sizes or have the audacity to claim we have an eating disorder. 9 times out of 10 this really isn’t the case.
Growing up with my ribs sticking out my body and my wrists being extremely thin was something that wasn’t an issue because I was eating fine, I just couldn’t keep on weight. What wasn’t fine was the comments i’d get every single day about my body.
No I don’t need to eat more and no you won’t fatten me up. Don’t compliment something on my body which would be seen as bullying if I were to compliment your ‘big belly’.
Skinny bashing needs to stop, and it needs to stop soon. We’re beautiful no matter what we look like.
Massive thank you to all the lovely bloggers who sent me pictures of their beautiful selves to include in this post; Jessica, Hexxie, Sophie, Emilia, Kacie, Soph, Luke, Alicja, Ellie, Elie, Shar, Ames, Sharda, Megs, Chips, Katie
Don’t forget my social media;
Such a great post, so glad to have been included in it so thank you!- https://sophiehearts.net x
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I love that someone actually brought this topic up. Everyone is so used to weight shaming being targeted towards the larger population of men, women, children, teens, and elders that everyone forgets that even naturally small people are shamed upon just because of how they naturally are. I have two friends that are so incredibly small that I can literally pick them up and carry them around like it’s nothing but for all intensive purposes are a hundred percent healthy and happy. People are so very quick to judge others whether out of spite, or because they are not what this other person is and it angers them or bring about jealousy because they want to be that way. There are so many reasons out there that people do this. It is just sad to think that honestly no matter what a person’s size, there is always going to be someone out there with an opinion that thinks they need to be heard. Truth is, the human body is miraculous, beautiful, mystifying, and something to be withheld in high standard and respect. No matter what size you are, you are amazing and unique and beautiful. Live your life and love yourself.
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Such a great post Ellie! ✨xxx
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Such a great post girl! Beautifully written on such a great topic, extremely powerful! Thank you for the feature x
katie-lauren.blogs
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Thank you!x
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Thank you so much for writing this post 😭 I’m underweight and have been all my life, but just can’t put any/keep any weight on!
I’ve had friends, family, and complete strangers commenting on my weight for as long as I can remember and it’s so, so damaging in terms of self -confidence and mental health.
This is such an important message to be sharing – I’ve been meaning to write a post about this for so long! 💜
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So lovely so see so many beautiful people of all shapes and sizes submitting their photos for you. The thing that gets me the most about the skinny name calling is that everyone always thinks their ‘joke’ is soooo original and there’s about a 100% chance you’ve heard it AT LEAST 10 times before. To be fair though, I think where do you find clothes that fit is a legit question because that’s honestly a struggle sometimes x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
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For me personally i find clothing like SUCH a struggle, sizes 12-13 in the kids is sometimes too big for me then a size 4 in adults is too small and its honestly the WORST! x
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🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Yessss! I was just talking about this the other day! Calling someone “too skinny” is the same thing as calling someone “fat”. It’s not okay. Everyone is beautiful in their own way! This culture is too obsessed with imagine. Thank you for bringing this topic up!
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Amazing post as always! It’s great that you’ve brought up something which many people don’t as it shows that it is happening & a change needs to be made! Xx
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Thanks girly x
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This post is amazing and definitely needs to be shared – so many views which I agree with! I am currently struggling myself, I used to be very skinny but I think as I’ve gotten older, gone on the pill and have reduced my sport activities I have gained weight – not a significant amount to others but to me it is!
Florence | https://beyondimagination12.blogspot.co.uk/
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Such an important post. Thanks for doing this. 💕
Sophie xxx | eyesofowls.org
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I totally agree with you! I have always been naturally thin, and Ill be the first to admit I am not the healthiest eater ever, but no matter what I do I just cannot gain weight. When I was younger I loved being petite, but now I am 5’1 and 17. There are 12 year olds who are taller than me and that is not an exaggeration at all (seriously tho are they just getting taller and taller with each generation?!). I have been called all sorts of things throughout my whole life, and it doesn’t bother me, but I fear that I do look ‘unhealthy’ even though I am perfectly normal… I dont know some days it just really gets to me. I also feel that it is not okay to talk about it because there are people with far bigger problems. Its okay to complain about being overweight or bigger, but not if you are underweight or smaller… the stigma needs to stop. Loved this post Ellie xx
http://zoe-ware.com
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Girl im 19 and just struggling to reach 5’1 in height too!! I remember being so annoyed/affected by the fact id be called skinny and all those other names that i went through a phase where id go to mcdonalds on lunch in college then go afterwards too just because i assumed it was all fatty foods that would’ve helped me put on weight and needless to say it didnt and messed up my eating habits for a while. I just have that people have to go through all this stress, name calling and all this because some people think they’ve got the right to comment on our physique and weight. Really want people to start talking about this more!x
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Very important! Body shaming needs to stop. Be healthy and happy. That’s what matters.
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this is seriously sooo great!! It is so important to talk about the other side of the spectrum. Its not okay to bash anyone for their weight, whatever it may be. Amazing post 💕
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If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! Am I right?😁👏🏼 I’d love it if you checked out my latest blog: https://emilyryannblogblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/5-qualities-of-a-godly-friend/
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This was so incredible and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it!!!!❤️❤️❤️ xx
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Reblogged this on Seventeen Wishes and commented:
SO IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD TO ME IF YOU COULD TAKE SOME TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO READ THIS AMAZING POST! xx
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There is so much truth in this like, I can’t even explain it. I was always very skinny as a child and was a size 4/6 until around a year ago. I was forever being told to eat more, being told I looked anorexic, being asked what children’s size I fitted into. As someone who did struggle with food at times, it made recovery 10x harder… Weight is not something that needs to be commented on by anyone
https://whatabigailsays.co.uk/
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100% agree with your comment!
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yassss, loved this, finally got round to reading it and I agree 100%, maybe if i didn’t get so many negative comments growing up, and now about being thin, then maybe I wouldn’t dislike my body so much. Thanks so much for featuring me xxxx
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I could once totally relate to you.I’m not skinny anymore, but calling someone skinny “anorexic” is extremely ignorant.When I was skinny and was called “anorexic”, I actually was anorexic.Saying stuff like this only encourages anorexics to get sicker.(from personal experience).Love this post, and you are perfect no matter what size you are as long as you’re healthy!
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This is such an amazing post Ellie. Every single person you shared is absolutely gorgeous and so are you 💖. I agree, whatever sizes we are we shouldn’t be judged by others. Well said and thank you for sharing 😘 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
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Thanks for reading girl💓💓
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Such a great post and this is for sure a topic that needs to be addressed I’m sick of skinny bashing!.
Charlie | http://www.charlieswonderland.co.uk
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I cannot agree any more with this! My weight was commented on a lot when I was a child, and it gave rise to a complex that took a LONG time to get over (if I got over it at all). Now it’s gone the other way, which doesn’t make it any better! People need to know that it’s not okay to say things like this. Even something seemingly innocent can leave lasting damage.
Sneha | lifewithsneha.com
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Brilliant!!
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I relate so much to this! I was in this position up until I was 19/20 when I started putting on weight (too much now, but that’s another story) but it’s terrible that people think that they can say things like that to someone! You made so many good points.
Menna x
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Sorry for the delay of seeing this, but I love this post so much. It makes me so angry, especially when people say “bones are for dogs” and gross things like that. By all means plus size should be stuck up for, but not by shaming smaller people! This is so well written Ellie ♡
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Completely agree, and thank you!
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I completely agree with everything you’ve written here! Growing up I was neither fat or thin so I didn’t have to deal with many comments like this but I know how hurtful they can be! It’s also so dangerous to people’s self esteem imagine telling someone ‘you need to put some weight on’ and this causing them to binge eat! You wouldn’t go up to someone and say ‘you need to lose weight’ so why do people think it’s acceptable when it’s the other way around?! I wish this society would begin to understand that making negative comments about another person’s appearance is NOT ok!
Jess // foundationsandfairytales.wordpress.com
xx
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You’re such a doll!!! I love the positivity and accuracy radiating from this post! Honestly you and every single person in this post is SO BEAUTIFUL 😍 this really warmed my heart to see a post like this. It’s sad we live in a world where we’re constantly made to feel ashamed of our bodies. Self love and care is so important! The size of your waist and hips shouldn’t matter! Great post Ellie 😘
xx Lena | https://lenadeexo.com
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Hello ,
I saw your tweet about animals and thought I will check your website. I like it!
I love pets. I have two beautiful thai cats called Tammy(female) and Yommo(male). Yommo is 1 year older than Tommy. He acts like a bigger brother for her. 🙂
I have even created an Instagram account for them ( https://www.instagram.com/tayo_home/ ) and probably soon they will have more followers than me (kinda funny).
I have subscribed to your newsletter. 🙂
Keep up the good work on your blog.
Regards
Wiki
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I work for Susie Mackie, a boudoir photographer whose ambition is to provide women with the tools to love their bodies as they are! It’s so important to realise your own self-worth and by writing this, you’ve done such a great job of highlighting issues from the opposite end of the spectrum!! Fab 💜💜
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Amazing post – can really relate!
I was super skinny until I was about 18, and had so many ‘amazing body’ and ‘wish I had a figure like yours’ comments that I thought that was how I was ‘supposed to look’..
However, because of this, it took a massive chunk of my confidence when I started putting on weight – as I’m not as skinny as I once was (even though I am now actually ‘healthy’ for my age and height!)
It’s taken a massive toll on me over the years so thank you so much for sharing this post & explaining the harm of skinny shaming!
Elle xx
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