not trying to start a fight here but just a point...

keto_1961

I think that both are still unacceptable if you are a women - although I do think that it is more socially acceptable for a men to be obese since it historically has been a sign of success. Having said that, recent studies suggest that being underweight is actually healthier than being at "normal" weight and increases longevity. Most of what we think we know about nutrition is wrong. If we all did what was good for us we would eat far fewer calories - and mostly from fats and proteins.

Jealousy fuels the comments to the underweight - as well as concern. Of course, the concern is from well-meaning mothers who simply worry about us. I am a 53 year old man is stills gets warned by his mother to put on a few additional pounds - even though at 12% body fat I am probably healthier than at anytime in my life.

BuddhaMom74

Why is it more socially acceptable to be overweight or obese these days, but it is not acceptable to be skinny.

It is not socially acceptable. What is however, is body shaming...which overweight women are the targets of all day, every day, subliminally and, unfortunately, many times with full intent.

SezxyStef

It is? Not that I'm aware of.

I think the OP is talking about some of the memes going around on facebook from time to time. There are several along the lines of "Men like girls with curves and not stick figures."

Not saying it is right, but I have been seeing a lot of that too.

UG.. those make me CRINGE.. and I don't find it acceptable at ALL.

I agree...I see those all the time and to be frank they are posted not by men but by larger women...

What I don't understand is why a larger woman must make fun of a smaller woman to make herself feel better????? And to be frank no one says anything to them...no one.

YOu hear things like "skinny b****" or "it's not fair" or "go eat a pizza" etc all the time if you are slim/trim/fit or worse...if you are fit..."gross" or "you shouldn't wear that your X is to muscular"...

I could go on but I won't.

It doesn't matter who it's directed at body shaming of any sort is unacceptable imho and I just hope that others get to that point too...

and as of today I will be commenting on the memes on FB...politely etc. but I am done with that crap.

Derpes

Bigger people have been marginalized, made fun of, beaten down for years.

Criticizing someones body is unacceptable either way, but bigger people still face the brunt of the criticism, make no mistake about that.

WandaWoman41

I had a slim pal who changed her profile pic from a cow to an elephant. I had to drop her. I assumed she was sending out subliminal messages. Hey, I eat more than 1,000 calories. Any intake less than 1,000 calories is no good for ME.

Cryptonomnomicon

I don't care about what is "socially acceptable" I just care about the well being of others, that being said I am not the sort of person to ridicule others in public for some perceived short coming, nor will I give out unsolicited advice.

If it is someone who generally wants my advice, opinion etc I will not condone being unhealthily overweight or underweight.

As a father of a teenage daughter and a parent the eating and exercise habits of my daughter concern me as I care about her having the best quality of life and for this I think leading by example and education are paramount in her developing good habits.

As to why one might seem more socially acceptable, it may be because there is a lot of pressure put onto people to have an ideal body type, which is often confused with the body type often betrayed by the fashion industry...which is often underweight, skinny etc advertising will rarely tell you that "fat is in" so peer pressure is a concern.

mercurysfire

i think there's a lot of good points. Firstly that fat or skinny shaming- it's based on sexual appeal to men. Everyone wants to be called beautiful i guess, but don't let someone else define that for you.
second- i love the concept of body acceptance but to me accepting that you are overweight, out of shape and can't do things you enjoy or try things because you physically just can't- that's selling yourself short. Accepting who you are and always striving to be better- that's a movement I can get behind. "Im fat and I'm beautiful and I'm never going to change", well, maybe not so much. If you're happy that way and you're healthy (because you can be overweight and healthy) then yay! I'm behind you all the way. But if you are unhealthy, sedentary, and all you eat is twinkies, sorry babe but I can't accept that even if you do. but i'll keep my mouth shut about you eating fast food all the time if you don't whine about how much time i spend in the gym or the food i eat to get the body i have. I work at it.

but most of all I'm not sure when it became acceptable to comment on a person's weight at all. if they ask for help or motivation heck yeah give them that. but telling someone they are fat/unattractive/bad skin/weird hair/taste in music sucks, whatever- that's just rude.

mave34

In my experience as someone who couldn't put any weight on when I was young and was terribly underweight growing up, when I got into my 'impressionable years' and into my early 20's I used to get comments like "gee must be nice to be a size zero" in a rude tone from complete strangers in changing rooms at the mall. If i wore a dress, peers would say "what the hell are you wearing? I always felt I was doing something wrong to bother people. I had self esteem issues for the opposite reasons, I felt people disliked me because no matter what I did I could eat whatever and never gain a pound. I hide under a lot of clothing, even doubled my socks in gym class because people would comment on my skinny ankles. I felt like people judged me and this caused a lot of grief. It definitely can go both ways and thin people have their share of issues too.

I am also bothered by those posters that people post about "men would rather curves than sticks" or whatever they are, everyone is different and everyone has different tastes in what their ideal body type would be. Not ALL men want a women because of her big booty. Anyway, it's our society that has created this stigma, what is perfect? Well that depends on what you want your perfect to be. Accept what you were given, and improve what you want to improve to be at your best.

The reality is, people need to stop concerning themselves with other people so much. Everyone is worried about celebrities and what their neighbors are doing, what co workers are wearing, who's gaining who's losing and really I just don't care. I've learned to live for me, my family and to be on a journey for me and my health in the body I was given. No more doubling up my socks when I run Be happy within yourself.

BuddhaMom74

Bigger people have been marginalized, made fun of, beaten down for years.

Criticizing someones body is unacceptable either way, but bigger people still face the brunt of the criticism, make no mistake about that.

+1

ChristineinMA

It is? Not that I'm aware of.

persistentsoul

I am fat and get shouted at in street by strangers, I have had eggs thrown at me in street on 3 separate occasions in different areas. Fat acceptance has not arrived. There are nasty people out there who will be cruel to anyone for any excuse they can come up with. Cruelty is not helpful to fat people or skinny people or anyone. People need kindness and good friends. Sometimes we need people to hold us accountable but in a kind way is always better than an abusive way. Very few people want to be unhealthy, people are overweight and underweight because they are struggling with something or many things. I do not see one as better than the other.

_Zardoz_

Why is it more socially acceptable to be overweight or obese these days, but it is not acceptable to be skinny.

It's Not

AskTracyAnnK28

I had a friend when I was in my late teens/early 20's who was super super skinny and couldn't gain weight as much as she tried. She came from a big Italian family and was constantly eating pasta lolol Like anyone with a 'weight problem' she faced her share of problems. She was so skinny that she hated wearing bathing suits and was forever being accused of having an eating disorder.

I remember shopping with her and sometimes she had to buy clothes in the kids section.

I guess I'm saying this because sometimes being too skinny can be just as difficult as being a little overweight. She was trying to gain weight to wear cute clothes just like most of us are trying to lose weight.

There's a new sort of 'body acceptence' movement but it needs to go both ways. No one should be 'weight shamed'.

gemmamummy

I've also noticed that if someone who is quite overweight, then loses weight and puts pictures up on Facebook, even tells them how amazing they look. I've seen slim female friends who have built up muscle and have improved their physique put pics up......people don't seem to like that so much! Just an observation!

emmaxbon

The reality is, people need to stop concerning themselves with other people so much. Everyone is worried about celebrities and what their neighbors are doing, what co workers are wearing, who's gaining who's losing and really I just don't care. I've learned to live for me, my family and to be on a journey for me and my health in the body I was given. No more doubling up my socks when I run Be happy within yourself.

QFT

SunofaBeach14

I consider it to be an overcorrection of a very real problem.

As most of us can tell you, being overweight sure doesn't give you a free pass in society. Progress has been made, probably because it's more common these days.

So after years of fat people being put down there was some push back. Eat a sandwich/real women have curves/etc. Trying to fight judgment with judgment.

I think today what we're finally seeing is more understanding and realization that criticizing another body type is never good. Which is progress.

^ This

mandimahoney5

From the way I view it, it has been more acceptable for men to be fat and not wemon. I even remember being bullied by a boy is school that was as big as me, but well he was a boy so it didn't matter.

ink_b1tch

I have been sick for 2 weeks, and I am down 6lbs putting me below my weight, I should be 135-140. 140 is where I look great, I am currently only 129. Here are some of the comments I heard this weekend.

ummmm, you gonna actually eat something
I can see you hipbones and count your ribs, you need to do something
You have to stop exercising your to low
anorexic *****, eat something
WTF, you are wasting away
You look sickly that small
Look at you, your clothes are falling off you

Thats what I got in 2 days over the weekend....just an example!

redheaddee

I consider it to be an overcorrection of a very real problem.

As most of us can tell you, being overweight sure doesn't give you a free pass in society. Progress has been made, probably because it's more common these days.

So after years of fat people being put down there was some push back. Eat a sandwich/real women have curves/etc. Trying to fight judgment with judgment.

I think today what we're finally seeing is more understanding and realization that criticizing another body type is never good. Which is progress.

Well said.

_crafty_

I have been sick for 2 weeks, and I am down 6lbs putting me below my weight, I should be 135-140. 140 is where I look great, I am currently only 129. Here are some of the comments I heard this weekend.

ummmm, you gonna actually eat something
I can see you hipbones and count your ribs, you need to do something
You have to stop exercising your to low
anorexic *****, eat something
WTF, you are wasting away
You look sickly that small
Look at you, your clothes are falling off you

Thats what I got in 2 days over the weekend....just an example!

you forgot "eat, b!tch" at least I said it as I set a plate of steak, mac n cheese, baked beans and corn on the cob in front of you. :smooched:

seriously though . . . I've lost 40 pounds in the last two years through changing my eating habits, cardio and heavy lifting. I am by no means "skinny" but I still get the comments. People are *kitten*.