It is a prevalent misconception that only those on the heavier side face challenges. Being skinny has its own unique set of struggles and downsides. A user took it to the forum, and asked, “Skinny people, what are some of the downsides to being thin?” and here are the top responses.
LOW ENERGY
“I used to be underweight for years. The worst part is the low energy and poor immune system. I highly recommend keeping one’s BMI above 17 for health reasons alone.”
CAN’T SWIM
“I can’t swim more than 15 minutes after I get too tired and cold.”
COLD
“I get cold SO EASILY”, said one user.
“I’m cold, weak, and hungry all the time”, said another user.
BONEY
“Sitting for any amount of time, or doing yoga and ‘high centering’ on my tailbone are my chief complaints of being skinny”, said one user.
“It also makes me not actually like massages. If I worked out more and had more muscle, I’d get it I guess, but as it is, having someone press my skin into my pointy bones just doesn’t feel good”, said another user.
PEOPLE’S COMMENTS
“Hearing about it constantly. The backhanded compliments. When I was 11 it was constantly being told “sticks are for dogs not boys”, “eat a cheeseburger”, and similar comments. They really made me feel ugly and I started exclusively dressing in oversized hoodies until I graduated. I never cared about my weight until everyone else became obsessed with it.”, said one user.
“ Growing up I heard it from friends, family, schoolmates, love interests, random people, etc. The collective messaging I got was ‘you need to gain weight to look normal and be normal like everyone else’. Now when I get commentary I just bite back. Do I need to eat more? Okay you need to eat less.”, said another user.
PEOPLE’S ASSUMPTIONS
“Assumptions that you have an eating disorder and it’s verbalized to your face.”, said one user.
“People always assume I’m a drug addict”, said another user.
BUYING CLOTHES
“No standard American sizes fit you ! Either look for S or XS or shop in the teenagers section”, said one user.
“Yes, the story of my life. L shirts are too baggy, but M shirts probably won’t be long enough. Most stores simply won’t carry a men’s 32″x36″ size pants. And the only way I can get long sleeves long enough is if I get a custom tailored shirt.”, said another user.
“Lots of clothing companies don’t bother making men’s xs”, said another user.
WEARING ACCESSORIES
“When it comes to watches, I can only wear steel mesh straps as my wrists are too skinny, even with links removed. As a watch guy, it’s frustrating!”, said one user.
“I hate when people do the “I can fit my thumb and pinkie around your wrist” thing, sure you can. I’m not insecure about it but I’m not having measuring tape on fat friends either. With watches, it’s always a test fit, and if the dial is too wide, it’s a no buy for me.”, said another user.
DIFFICULTY IN GAINING WEIGHT
“It is very hard to gain weight. I have to eat an insane amount of food to build muscle”, said one user.
“It’s expensive to just ‘maintain the weight’. And ridiculously more expensive to start gaining weight. Whenever I start bulking, I need to eat 2800 kcal in order to gain decent weight. That means eating 5-6 quality meals per day. It’s ridiculous, expensive, and time consuming.”, said another user.
ABUSE
“For reference, I’m a 19 year old female and have never been over 115 pounds. Verbal abuse is a huge problem along with people grabbing your arms and saying “look how thin your arms are” or they point at your stomach or lift your shirt up enough to see your stomach and they point out that they think you need to eat more or work out more.”, said one user.
EATING A BIG MEAL
“When you’re thin enough to see your abs, every tiny bit of fat gain, water retention, bloating, etc is really noticeable. Even a couple “cheat” meals and you’ll notice a significant difference overnight.”, said one user.
“After eating a big meal, my gut will stick out because it has nowhere else to go. So it looks like I’m pregnant after I eat a big meal.”, said another user.
EASY TARGETS
“People think they can push you around even in adulthood.”, said one user.
“I’ve noticed that my smaller male friends have a lot more issues with being confronted by other guys. I think it must be a combination of “small man syndrome” from the fight initiator and the desire for that fight initiator to pick a target that won’t rip their head off.”, said another user.
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The article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.