Thin-shaming is still a form of body-shaming (my experience)

Social media is a breeding ground for comparison, judgement, and opinions; especially when it comes to physical appearance. Why else would Instagram filters exist?

It is no secret that we live in a fat-phobic, diet-culture infested society. People in larger bodies are constantly being criticized, and often do not receive equal treatment to those in smaller bodies. If they go to the doctor struggling with fatigue, headaches, or dizziness, the first advice is “to lose weight” …as if weight is the only marker of someone’s health.

Thankfully, there is a rising awareness for the Health at Every Size Movement and more and more individuals are sharing about “Body Positivity”. These posts often portray people showing off their curves and rolls in pride – as they should! But what about the other end of the spectrum? What about people that are naturally thin?

I have always been a very petite person that doesn’t put on weight easily. A couple pounds of weight loss was enough for me to go into energy deficit and spark Anorexia genetics. I struggled with an eating disorder for many years since going on my first diet as an eleven-year-old. Thankfully, I am now FULLY recovered! An eating disorder isn’t about being a certain body size or looking a certain way. It’s a mental illness, one that I no longer suffer from.

As I shared on my Instagram stories recently, I have been dealing with some undiagnosed health issues that have led to unintentional weight loss. My body has been rejecting my food, evidently VERY frustrating considering my passion for nourishment and knowledge that FOOD IS FUEL!

Unfortunately, this weight loss has led to a lot of negative comments and messages. Some recent ones are:

• You’re relapsing

• Are you becoming anorexic again?

• You are a trigger to the ED recovery community

Besides the fact that you can NEVER know about someone’s health situation based on their physical appearance, such comments are downright inappropriate and unacceptable. You never know what is going on with someone internally; this goes for both physical and mental health. Forming an opinion about my (or anyone else’s) state of health based off how I (or they) choose to show up online is ungrounded and harmful.

As an anti-diet creator that supports health at every size, I want to emphasize that there’s no such thing as an ideal body and that size is no indication of health. Body positivity and body acceptance are ultimately not about bodies at all; they’re about having an open-minded, positive mental attitude and being accepting of diversity.

Body-shaming of any type is bullying. And bullying is NEVER okay.