# i don't call you fat, don't call me skinny! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 25, 2001, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265 "2001-04-25T07:44:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![loislane138](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@loislane138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loislane138)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/1 "2001-04-25T07:44:40Z")
There’s this short, full figured gal I work with who goes out of her way to point out to everyone at “how nasty-skinny” I am. I’m tired of it. Yes, I am almost 6 feet tall, and yes I am only 130 lbs. I have alwawys been this size and shape, and will be for a long tie. For you to poke my ribs and call me nasty is hurtful. I don’t jab my finger your rolls and say “giggle, c’mon, giggle!” do I?! NO! So leave me alone! I am not anorexic or bulimic or do I think that I am keeping up with the medias expactations of young women. So fuck you! I’d kill to have a body like Raquel Welch or Catherine Zeta Jones, but, no, I have the body of a skeleton, and I have to deal with it. And just like being called fat being called skinny is rude and just mean. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/2 "2001-04-25T08:57:40Z")
Maybe you SHOULD call her fat 'til she shuts up… then again, one rudeness doesn’t excuse the other. I actually applaud your ability to refrain from retaliation. I wonder… does “this short, full figured gal” call you “nasty-skinny” just because she thinks it’s amusingly ironic, or does she do it deliberately to be cruel? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/3 "2001-04-25T09:14:43Z")
More to the point, where can we see pictures of your skinnyness? I hate being skinny. I don’t gain weight well at all. For some reason this is hard to portray to people as actually annoying. It ain’t fun. Really. I don’t get to eat “what I want” any more than anyone else does. I have to eat things high in calories because I need the calories. Perhaps if you turned the tables or told her you were sick and fucking tired of her being nasty to you? One last thought . . . is she perhaps jealous? Does she have weight issues and deal with them by making fun of you? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/4 "2001-04-25T13:05:56Z")
My sympathies, **loislane138** (from a fat guy, FWIW)… My best friend, **D** , is one of those people who are skeleton-thin and hates it. We lived together for a few years, and I was amazed at his body’s inability to add ANY fat, or seemingly, any other tissue! He worked out (actually we worked out together… I didn’t lose any weight, and he didn’t gain any! That’s another rant, tho…), he ate like a horse, he took supplements with names like “Calorie-Power-2000-Insta-weight,” etc. but no go… I am astounded by people’s carelessness with other’s feelings sometimes. I’m used to being called fat, and have a calloused heart because of it (which is a good thing). But even those who would never look at me and call me fat often would look at someone who is skinny and say something derogatory without thinking about it. They just assume that skinny people are happy to be that way! Example: **D** and I were at a party, in a group of people while a mutual aquaintance of ours was talking about her co-worker: “She’s so thin it ain’t right! She’s so skinny she looks like she’s not human! She looks like a death-camp survivor!” looks at **D** , “… well, she’s not as skinny as **D** …” **D** maintained his dignity and said nothing (until later when we were at home). Some people are just simply fucking stupid. It’s usually easy to see who they are. Feel free to dismiss anything they say. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/5 "2001-04-25T13:27:55Z")
lois, count me as your sister in skinniness. I am 5’11" and 125 lbs. I used to get asked if I were anorexic(back wehn i weighed 110). Its just jealousy, don’t let it bother you. Have you consdired trying out for Ally McBeal? ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/6 "2001-04-25T13:32:04Z")
Personally, people that are that thoughtless don’t deserve politeness. Yeah, I know the argument about maintaining dignity, but sometimes a good zinger is worth a few dignity points. **Lois** , sorry your co-worker is a putz. I’m thin and always get the assumption that “Oh you’re just naturally sknny [like I somehow lucked out on the genetic lottery]. You can eat anything you want, blah blah, blah”. Um, yeah, I can eat anything I want 'cause I work my butt off to stay this way. I usually just chalk it up to jealousy and dissatisfaction with their own bodies. It might not hurt to have a nice talk with this co-worker. I mean, she’s probably not _even_ thinking that you have body issues just like most overweight people. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/7 "2001-04-25T14:26:02Z")
Saying something like “you’re nasty skinny” does not warrent any response except: “Fuck You” perhaps accented with the old “Hey, I think I have something in my pocket for you. Hang on!” (reach in and pretend you’re pulling something out)…“Oh, here it is!” followed by shoving your middle finger in her face. What a cunt, and I do mean that word. Nasty cunt, to be exact. Zette For what it’s worth, that is how I would handle it. I have never been accused of being diplomatic or tactful to assholes like this. This behavior could result in physical confrontation. Use with caution. Some restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/8 "2001-04-25T15:34:21Z")
160 cm and 103lbs checking in. I get a lot of: “oh gosh, you’re so _small!_ And so _skinny!_! How much do you _eat?!_” Generally, I can handle it because I can tell people mean it as a compliment, even if the execution isn’t perfect. If anybody ever called me “nasty-skinny”, I’d be pissed - even though that description says more about the insecurities of the speaker than it does anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/9 "2001-04-25T16:11:47Z")
5’7, 105. High metabolism. It dosen’t bother me, except in an eye-rolling “great, again” sort of way, when people say “Oh gosh you’re so thin! I’d do anything to be that thin!” Well, no, honestly I doubt you’d really enjoy never being able to find clothes that fit, or being damned cold in the winter, or not being able to swim that well just because you honestly don’t float so great. But what gets me is that it’s evidently OKAY for people to say things like “Anybody under a size 10 is a boy with breasts”, but it’s not okay to say anything about fat people because we might hurt their feelings? What about my feelings? Not to mention, I’m not a certain shape because I overeat and don’t get any exercise (yeah, I know, a lot of fat people can’t help it - not what this thread is about, however.) I’m at my natural healthy body weight. Therefore it is terribly, awfully rude of you to whisper to your friend “Goodness, Myrtle, she looks like she just escaped from Dachau! Pass the cheezy poofs!” It’s damned rude. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/10 "2001-04-25T16:33:50Z")
Some of you newer peoples may not have seen this similar rant, which I link for your reading pleasure. [I have anorexia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=37623) IMO, one of the best rants in the history of the pit. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/11 "2001-04-25T17:48:20Z")
My suggested response to the bovine in question (BIQ): BIQ: You are too skinny! Response: Look, I don’t have a problem with my weight. If you have a problem with my weight, keep your fucking problems to yourself, bitch. ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/12 "2001-04-26T02:11:36Z")
It’s worse when you’re a guy and you’re 6’ and 130 lb. Yup. I avoid t-shirts and shorts, but salespeople at clothing stores hate me, especially the women, _especially_ when I ask for 27W pants. That’s another problem with being a guy and skinny: no one makes pants that fit. One has to do with a waistband several sizes too big that scrunches up when one ties his belt, or one has to wear his pants so that they’re almost falling off, or one has to wear women’s pants that tend to be tight in a way that reduces one’s sperm count. And _then_ there’s the people who mistake me for a woman from behind–but I’ll be the first to admit my big bushy ponytail shares the blame for that. I’m not anorexic, though, because I don’t have any body image problems; I realize I’m a walking coat hanger. I just don’t get hungry very often, and I sometimes forget to eat when I’m busy writing or hacking at my computer. But I think the most practical explanation–and the one that’s least likely to get me flamed–is that, like any other first year university student, I can’t cook, my fridge is pretty bare most of the time, and I don’t have the money to eat out often. Oh well. It makes good preparation for a life as a writer. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/13 "2001-04-26T02:36:16Z")
I get this a lot - people commenting about how skinny I am. It’s reduced in frequency a little, but it still seems to be considered acceptable to talk about thin people’s weight, but not about heavy folk’s weight. What an awful imbalance! I know they aren’t doing it maliciously, it’s a bit of jealousy (they seem to be under the impression being thin is somehow good) mixed with a bit of fascination in how our bodies react the opposite way to food as theirs does. But tis true, you can’t get clothes that fit, you can’t gain weight even if you eat rubbishy crap, exercising and working out does nothing, muscles do not appear… And you are judged continuously by many people for this. I have no problem with how I look - it’s other people who have the problem with me. Darn it all. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/14 "2001-04-26T03:08:42Z")
I’m 6’1" and 140 pounds, and I get it all the time. Since I’m a rock and roll motherfucker, I wear tight clothes anyway, so finding duds isn’t really that hard (small T shirts, 28" levis from ebay). But the comments occasionally get to me. My normal response is a rather icy, “And look at yourself.” A few months ago, we got a new page in my department at the library who’s even skinnier than me. One night, I was working with this librarian, a real misanthrope who’s just a _little_ over-concious of her looks, and she turned to me and said, “You know Black455, I thought _you_ were skinny, but that new guy is like a skeleton.” I was momentarily taken aback, but quickly responded, “You know \_\_\_\_\_\_, I thought that skirt you wore yesterday made your ass look big, but this one takes the cake.” She just sat there with her mouth open. Needless to say, we haven’t spoken to eachother unless absolutely necessary since then. And she hasn’t worn that skirt, either. Bitch. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/15 "2001-04-26T04:12:26Z")
A lot of people see women’s bodies as public property. For some reason they feel free to comment on them. It’s amazeing how important “skinnyness” is to some people. They put it over enjoyment of life (“Oh, you can eat anything you want…but I can’t”), health (“Sure a grapefruit diet is unbalanced, but thats not as important as loseing weight”), and even appearence (“I know methamphetamines give me ugly sores, rot my teeth and make me look like the living dead, but if I stop doing speed I’ll gain weight!”). Loseing weight becomes such an ends that when they are confronted with people that don’t constantly torment themselves over it (be they thick or thin) there is an almost moral outrage. It is astonishingly just how fucked up this little part of society is. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/16 "2001-04-26T13:02:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I was momentarily taken aback, but quickly responded, “You know \_\_\_\_\_\_, I thought that skirt you wore yesterday made your ass look big, but this one takes the cake.” > > She just sat there with her mouth open. Oh,my,God. I think I love you. That is exactly what I would have said! Zette ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/17 "2001-04-26T17:31:37Z")
I know EXACTLY how you feel… I used to work with this, um, full figured gal. REALLY full figured gal. One day, out of the blue, in front of co-workers she said “You are so god-damn skinny. Its disgusting, actually.” so I looked at her and said “That may be true, but 90% of the women you’ll ever meet would rather look like me than you.” and smiled sweetly. She never said anything like that again. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/18 "2001-04-26T21:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zette \* > \*\*Oh,my,God. > > I think I love you. > That is exactly what I would have said! > > Zette \*\* Funny… my girlfriend told me I was real asshole for saying that. We had a bit of an argument, followed by nookie. Now that I have the backing of a bona fide female, I’m gonna start the argument again. I could use some nookie. ---
**Author:** ![Wabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/19 "2001-04-26T22:14:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xekul \* > **That’s another problem with being a guy and skinny: no one makes pants that fit. One has to do with a waistband several sizes too big that scrunches up when one ties his belt, or one has to wear his pants so that they’re almost falling off** Try doing the ‘gangsta’ thing. I hear it’s trey cool now to walk around with your pants hanging halfway down your ass…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265/20 "2001-04-26T22:38:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*so I looked at her and said “That may be true, but 90% of the women you’ll ever meet would rather look like me than you.” and smiled sweetly > \*\* And that is why large women have self-esteem problems. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-call-you-fat-dont-call-me-skinny/63265.md?page=2)