My friends cover a broad cross-section of races and sizes. So usually, I wouldn’t use the word ‘fat’ to describe anyone aloud, even if you put red-hot coals down my running pants.
But the reverse-discrimination and bullying I’ve faced (especially over the last few years) is really beginning to boil my (no sugar please) organic green tea! In gatherings, at work or just out in public the first question I get asked is “How do you stay so thin?” I check the water temperature to see if they really want an answer, are just making conversation, or are just trying to annoy me. Answer it is. As the words “fruits and vegetables”, “regular exercise”, “organic”, “no junk food”, make their way into the dialogue, I watch as the glazed doughnut rise in their eyes, their backs stiffen and the inevitable “I can’t do all that”. Well, it’s up to you…
Yet, whether I’m at work, out, or at a gathering; larger people snicker about the size of me and my other skinny friends. They call us ‘bulimic’ and ‘anorexic’ repeatedly and loudly, straight to our faces (and behind our backs) – even though we all eat enough food to support three people and have never thrown up unless we had a stomach bug. Other people turn and start gaping…the whispers begin, “she throws up”, “oh that explains it!” The rumors start flying! We get called “unattractive and bony”; one person even said we should “stop running so much”.
Dare we call them ‘orca fat’, ‘morbidly obese’, ‘whale’ in return? Oh try it – if you can breathe with a 300lb person sitting on your chest, be my guest! I just don’t understand it. I’m very outspoken and my friends usually have to slap a hand over my mouth because I am really anti-bullying and anti being mean in general. However, my philosophy is if you dish it out, you better be able to take it - I am not your skinny beating stick!
Last week, I had a fat person (picture over 350lbs) tell me that I wasn’t sexy. My first impulse was to respond “Did I @!$#%! ask you?” Not in the mood to make anyone cry, I said “That wasn’t nice, would you like it if I said that to you?” She had the grace to apologize. Note well… none of this harassment is coming from my larger friends. They accept me and I accept them. It’s just amazing that people you barely know will feel free to ridicule you for your size (I guess they think we lost our feelings along with our fat).
With all this verbal abuse, I’m on the verge of snapping. It’s just plain rude. You can talk to your own skinny friends like that if they’re OK with it – but do not terrorize strangers or acquaintances with your unsolicited remarks. Stop spreading rumors and innuendo because it makes you feel better about your expanding girth. The reverse is true if you’re a skinny person being mean to fat people. Stop it!
So if you’re fat, please… can we all just get along? Can you drop the “rabbit food” remarks? I would be ecstatic if I could go a month and not hear, “looks like she’s starving”. And frankly, I’m not your problem. You know what it is. And while you’re handling it, resist the temptation to unleash your self-dissatisfaction on others. The least effective way to increase ones happiness is to try and breed misery in someone else.