Skinny fad

samantha64118
samantha64118 Posts: 71
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
I'm not trying to be judgemental, but honestly, it bugs me at the number of people who want to just be "skinny." I don't ever want to be skinny...I want to be FIT and STRONG and HEALTHY...but never just "skinny."

Can someone explain what the obsession is about?

Replies

  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    Societal and media pressure - women should be thin, delicate, not take up too much space. It’s all in our heads. It’s in our culture.

    We break the cycle by being good role models to other girls and women. By being fit, healthy, strong, taking up space, having a voice, and not hating on one another. We do not do it by saying, “OMG I can’t believe you want to be skinny!” and instead saying, “Girl, let’s lift weights and eat pizza and drink beer.”

    :flowerforyou:
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    Societal and media pressure - women should be thin, delicate, not take up too much space. It’s all in our heads. It’s in our culture.

    We break the cycle by being good role models to other girls and women. By being fit, healthy, strong, taking up space, having a voice, and not hating on one another. We do not do it by saying, “OMG I can’t believe you want to be skinny!” and instead saying, “Girl, let’s lift weights and eat pizza and drink beer.”

    :flowerforyou:
    Excellent.
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    No idea about the skinny thing because I never desired to be that. I love being lean (10% fat) with awesome muscle definition and curves. I want to be strong and sexy :)
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    I'm not trying to be judgemental, but honestly, it bugs me at the number of people who want to just be "skinny." I don't ever want to be skinny...I want to be FIT and STRONG and HEALTHY...but never just "skinny."

    Can someone explain what the obsession is about?

    why is it any buisness of yours what someone elses goals are? For the record I am already strong i dont need to see my muscles,nor would i want to
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm not trying to be judgemental, but honestly, it bugs me at the number of people who want to just be "skinny." I don't ever want to be skinny...I want to be FIT and STRONG and HEALTHY...but never just "skinny."

    Can someone explain what the obsession is about?
    Is someone trying to force you to be skinny?

    No?

    Then why do you care what others want for their bodies?
  • hollymeeker
    hollymeeker Posts: 38
    PEOPLE - STOP BEING RUDE TO MY FRIEND! She merely asked a question, no need to tear her head off! I've seen some of you on here from other posts tearing people apart...I feel sorry for you - always in a bad mood! You should stop being so judgmental!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    PEOPLE - STOP BEING RUDE TO MY FRIEND! She merely asked a question, no need to tear her head off! I've seen some of you on here from other posts tearing people apart...I feel sorry for you - always in a bad mood! You should stop being so judgmental!

    If this is people tearing her apart, I very much fear what would happen if someone actually did lay in to her. They challenged her opinion. Grow a thicker skin.
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member

    If this is people tearing her apart, I very much fear what would happen if someone actually did lay in to her. They challenged her opinion. Grow a thicker skin.

    Exactly. People these days get too offended for other people (and themselves for that matter).

    To the OP, I think "skinny" is just easier for people to say than "fit, healthy, and strong." Its a generalized term for "not fat" and I've used it before (well I've used the word "thinner"). When you're 100lbs or more over weight, skinny could mean that they want to lose weight.

    However, skinny can be a dangerous term when it comes to weight loss, as evident by the amount of anorexia/bulemia blogs on Tumblr.
  • Lorie66
    Lorie66 Posts: 66
    I've seen several post today with people complaining what other people do, say and how they do it....just focus on yourself and stop being the MFP police...some people struggles are harder than others and there may be more to saying "I want to be skinny" It may be that they have been bullied for being over weight, abused in any number of ways...lets support one another and not expect everyone to be exactly like us. :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    PEOPLE - STOP BEING RUDE TO MY FRIEND! She merely asked a question, no need to tear her head off! I've seen some of you on here from other posts tearing people apart...I feel sorry for you - always in a bad mood! You should stop being so judgmental!
    So ... it's OK, because she's your friend, for her to criticize other people's personal desires for their own bodies, but we're not alliwed to point out that what other people want for their own bodies is none of her business?

    Thank you for letting us in on the rules so we know better next time.
  • shreddin_mama
    shreddin_mama Posts: 1,076 Member
    What are you talking about. "Strong is the new skinny"
  • skstogsdill
    skstogsdill Posts: 18
    Remember that different people are going to have a different idea about what "skinny" is.

    Some would say Beyonce, some would say current Nicole Ritchie.

    Also, its all about context. My girlfriend and I love those days when we can say "dang you look skinny today!" or "I feel skinny today yay!" Does that mean we think we look sick and unfit? No. We're working out hard in the gym and putting in great effort!

    If you give the word "skinny" a negative connotation, then you might not be doing yourself any favors. Focus on YOU and your goals without throwing judgy connotations around or else you might just be sabotaging yourself.
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
    As much as this phrase is used to wrongly support EDs, sometimes it IS just natural for someone's body type and genetics to be skinny, and so it's important to support all natural body types as beautiful, because everyone's healthy weight is very different. My body is healthiest at around a 18-19 bmi, I know this because I've been everywhere between 17 and 22, and that's just the weight I was least ill/could be the most strong at. If I could be one of those curvy beauties I would be happy at a higher weight and not aiming for skinny, but alas, I'm not built for that. xD
  • snaggly
    snaggly Posts: 48 Member
    Yeah, what do you mean by skinny? I want to be lean and most likely, being lean = being skinny for many others.
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
    *People use different words. The "fad" may just be the word.

    *Some people don't want/care-to-work-for muscular: 20% body fat (for a woman) isn't lean, but there's nothing unhealthy about it. And if she's not imbued with childbearing hips and naturally larger thigh muscles...well, that just might make her skinny. What's the big deal?

    *Usually when we get upset about somebody else's choices, its because we're upset about something about ourselves.
  • summalovaable
    summalovaable Posts: 287 Member

    Is someone trying to force you to be skinny?

    No?

    Then why do you care what others want for their bodies?

    Not that I personally care when I see girls doing 2 hours of cardio only to have their bodies jiggling with fat, BUT the "don't care about anyone else" thing is kind of a big deal. Think of a world where no one had an opinion of anything else(positive or negative), where we did not have the initiative to see something and want change. "Because they aren't forcing you to do it" is a poor excuse and a poor debate point.

    Also, to go to the cliche defense. As someone who recovered from an eating disorder sometimes someone else's goal has to matter to you. Back then "skinny" was my goal, meanwhile "fit" was what I thought I was getting. Education is key. The "skinny" girls are not the one's I see at the gym in 50-60 years with bodies looking like they're 20. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I'm talking about the rule.
  • naj1991
    naj1991 Posts: 93 Member
    im SLINDER and i want to be thick. im trying to gain weight . in the afro american community thick is better but ive always been naturally slim. it just depends on what each person wants
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    PEOPLE - STOP BEING RUDE TO MY FRIEND! She merely asked a question, no need to tear her head off! I've seen some of you on here from other posts tearing people apart...I feel sorry for you - always in a bad mood! You should stop being so judgmental!
    Wow, jumping the gun much? I haven't seen anyone be rude to your friend. A difference of opinions does not equate "rude".
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc
  • LittleMissDoll
    LittleMissDoll Posts: 185
    Remember that different people are going to have a different idea about what "skinny" is.

    Some would say Beyonce, some would say current Nicole Ritchie.

    Also, its all about context. My girlfriend and I love those days when we can say "dang you look skinny today!" or "I feel skinny today yay!" Does that mean we think we look sick and unfit? No. We're working out hard in the gym and putting in great effort!

    If you give the word "skinny" a negative connotation, then you might not be doing yourself any favors. Focus on YOU and your goals without throwing judgy connotations around or else you might just be sabotaging yourself.

    well said!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member

    Is someone trying to force you to be skinny?

    No?

    Then why do you care what others want for their bodies?

    Not that I personally care when I see girls doing 2 hours of cardio only to have their bodies jiggling with fat, BUT the "don't care about anyone else" thing is kind of a big deal. Think of a world where no one had an opinion of anything else(positive or negative), where we did not have the initiative to see something and want change. "Because they aren't forcing you to do it" is a poor excuse and a poor debate point.

    Also, to go to the cliche defense. As someone who recovered from an eating disorder sometimes someone else's goal has to matter to you. Back then "skinny" was my goal, meanwhile "fit" was what I thought I was getting. Education is key. The "skinny" girls are not the one's I see at the gym in 50-60 years with bodies looking like they're 20. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I'm talking about the rule.

    I have long, curly red hair. I like my hair. Random strangers stop me in public almost daily to tell me how beautiful my hair is.

    I can't understand why anyone would want short, straight blond hair!

    (Get my point now?)
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,832 Member
    That's great that those are your goals. I am one of the girls you are referring to here, and I proudly want to be "skinny". My reasoning is that that is what I am most comfortable as. Plain and simple. Not sure why it effects you what other peoples' goals are.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Personal preferences are bull****! People should all have the same goals as me.
  • theoneandonlybrookie
    theoneandonlybrookie Posts: 341 Member
    The word "skinny" is so subjective. I am sure there are a few people on here who want to be "skinny" in the sense that they want to be borderline or full on underweight. But it seems like the vast majority want to be healthy, fit, strong, etc. and might use the term "skinny" to describe these very healthy attributes. And I don't believe there is anything wrong with a person wanting to lose weight or get fit to look a certain way. I run and eat healthy because it makes me feel good and I want to live a long time, sure. I also do it because I want my butt to look nice in designer jeans and I want to feel confident about my arms when I wear tank tops.

    One of my friends is a strong, super buff but small framed woman. I jokingly call her my "skinny mini" because I don't believe that one of my thighs would fit in her pants or one of my boobs would fit in her shirt. She knows that I don't mean anything offensive by it - she's a beautiful, strong, but downright tiny person. It's all relative.
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,832 Member
    The word "skinny" is so subjective. I am sure there are a few people on here who want to be "skinny" in the sense that they want to be borderline or full on underweight. But it seems like the vast majority want to be healthy, fit, strong, etc. and might use the term "skinny" to describe these very healthy attributes. And I don't believe there is anything wrong with a person wanting to lose weight or get fit to look a certain way. I run and eat healthy because it makes me feel good and I want to live a long time, sure. I also do it because I want my butt to look nice in designer jeans and I want to feel confident about my arms when I wear tank tops.

    One of my friends is a strong, super buff but small framed woman. I jokingly call her my "skinny mini" because I don't believe that one of my thighs would fit in her pants or one of my boobs would fit in her shirt. She knows that I don't mean anything offensive by it - she's a beautiful, strong, but downright tiny person. It's all relative.

    And you should feel confident about your arms. They're awesome.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Personal preferences are bull****! People should all have the same goals as me.
    Um, no.

    They should have MY goals. And they should go about reaching them in exactly the same way I do.

    So there.

    :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
  • ADobs
    ADobs Posts: 160 Member
    I am one of those people! I just don't like the "toned" look or the fit look. I want to be just skinny. I don't care for looking toned or muscular. Of course, I do want to be healthy as well. And if I'm skinny and I exercise regularly, then in my opinion, I am also fit. Fit and skinnny, just not "toned"/"muscular"-looking.

    Everyone is different and we all have our own individual goals of how we want to look. As long as we are all healthy, who cares!
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