Embrace Your Curves: Why Being Skinny Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be
For a long time, being skinny has been considered the equivalent of beauty for women. Let's be honest, isn't it the dream of many women to finally get that flat stomach? What I am going to do in this hub is tell you some of the reasons why being skinny isn't as great as everyone thinks it is.
To start off with, I am a small woman - both short (5'2'') and thin (107 lbs, 25 inch waist). I can eat whatever I want to eat, and not gain a pound. I know where your thoughts are going, so stop them right there - read the hub first, and then decide if you want to hate me for it.
1. Being skinny does not mean being healthy.
I could address eating disorders, but we all know about those. What I mean here is that being naturally skinny provides less incentive for being healthy and active. As I said, I can eat whatever I want to - but that does not mean that I should. Skinny people may not worry about their health (food and working out) as much because they don't have to worry about their weight, but this may lead to future health problems.
2. People judge skinny girls ...
Sometimes it is a good judgement: "She's so thin! She looks great!" Sometimes it is a spiteful judgement: "Why does she get to be skinny but I have to work so hard to lose weight? It's not fair!" And sometimes, it's a worried/paranoid judgement: "There's no way she could look like that naturally. She must have an eating disorder." And let me tell you, none of these judgements feels good, especially the last one. My dad once asked me if I had an eating disorder, and I can't tell you how much it hurt me that my own father didn't trust me.
3. ... And they're not afraid to speak their mind about it.
Typically, no one is going to say, "Wow, you're so fat!" - with the exception of younger kids bullying each other, but then again they'll be mean to anyone and everyone. Yet, people have no problem saying, "Wow, you're so skinny!" Why is this? I never quite know how to respond when people say this to me. I don't consider it much of a compliment, because I know that there are judgements behind their comment (see #2). Not to mention the dreaded, "You need to eat more!" and having food shoved in our faces ...
4. It gets chilly.
Body fat helps insulate people and generate body heat. Skinny people get colder faster because they don't have as much body fat to protect them from the cold. Ohio winters + Being skinny = No fun, trust me.
5. It's harder to float in a pool (without moving around).
Body fat = buoyancy. Less body fat = less buoyancy = less floating = more sinking. I'm not saying that skinny people can't swim or can't float - plenty of them can! I'm not one one them though ...
6. Sitting for long periods of time actually hurts.
This is what I call "bruised butt syndrome." Skinny people typically have smaller butts or less "padding", which may make jeans shopping easier but does little to protect against the cruelty of hard chairs and floors. It hurts. And yes, sometimes I do end up with a little bruise on my tailbone.
7. It's easier to be jostled around.
On a subway, in a crowd, by a nasty pedophile, by big gusts of wind ... whatever the case, skinny people can be (physically) pushed around more easily. Plus, they bruise more easily.
8. Being skinny is so not cute when you're young.
Scrawny babies? Not as cute as chubby babies. Scrawny pre-teen? Not so cute either. Yes, they'll eventually grow into it (usually) but that doesn't make the awkward middle school years any less awkward.
9. You're constantly being mistaken for being younger than you are.
Once you get older, I'm sure this is nice. But at a young age? Not so much. It is devasting to a 16-year old who is mistaken for being 13 or 14. It is annoying for 21-year olds to have to show their IDs every time they go to a bar. It is embarrassing for young teachers to be mistaken as students. This is a double-whammy if you are both skinny and short, like me.
10. Skinny girls typically aren't curvy girls.
Duh, right? But think about it - no boobs, no hips, no butt. No sexy feminine curves. Besides, men are always insisting that they prefer curvy girls to skinny girls, so why don't you start believing them? Take pride in your body and aim for healthy rather than stick-thin.
