Skinny privilege

The point is obesity or bad diet is assumed to be the cause of everything with little to no investigation, a lot of the time, when there could be many causes.

Two recent examples for myself - I went to the GP with sudden, excruciating knee pain. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis without any examination or xrays, prescribed weight loss medication ( as a former ED sufferer), and denied pain medication even though I made it clear the pain was having an impact on my daily life and ability to do my job.

I did manage to get an x-ray and examination because I work in a hospital. There are no signs of OA. I had a Baker's cyst which had burst. It was caused by a sudden increase in activity when I started my new job and had nothing to do with my weight. Had I been examined, or even been asked a few questions that could have been diagnosed at the start.

I've been at the GP, Urgent Care, and A&E several times over the last few years due to incapacitating digestive pain. I've always been told it was due to eating fatty, greasy food. I don't eat fatty, greasy food. I don't even like the greasy, spicy curries one A&E Dr blamed. I don't like fried or spicy food. No one ever asked me about my diet.

I start one thread on MN and immediately people pick up on how much acidic fruit and raw veg I'm eating and advise me to cut down. I haven't had a single episode since. If I'd been asked any questions at all in the numerous times I've presented to A&E and Urgent Care begging for morphine, that could have been resolved years ago but instead Drs looked at my size and assumed I ate shit, refusing to believe me when I told them otherwise.

Weightloss would not have helped with either of those issues and remaining thin would not have prevented it.

I don’t agree. The thin person has already completed the first stage of treatment by ensuring that they didn’t get fat in the first place.

US though? They have zero job protection , can sack you at the drop of a hat to begin with.

https://amp.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/oct/30/women-pay-get-thin-study
im afraid this really is a thing. Larger women get paid less.

The point is obesity and smoking are not the same. One is a behaviour. The other isn’t. And even IF obesity affects health (and I don’t think it’s as clear cut as we’re told) that doesn’t mean symptoms should not be investigated. Stop muddying the waters with your smoking comparison.

If you have a fat and thin person, who are exactly the same in terms of behaviours (drinking, smoking, diet, exercise) the thin person will most often be investigated and treated whereas the fat person will be told to lose weight first. THAT is thin privilege.

It does feel like you’re treated better when thinner. I remember the compliments. However, if you accept yourself and exude confidence at a larger weight then that too goes a long way.

Great post.

The point is doctors aren't normally just telling people to lose weight for the sake of it or because they just don't want to treat fat people. It's often because it IS or CAN affect health. Same as smoking.
Being fat or smoking can affect health. It's just a fact.
I am sure sometimes doctors will ignore a problem and tell someone it's because they need to lose weight when it is in fact unrelated to weight. The same way my irregular periods were ignored and I was told it was due to smoking. It was not.

But posters have shared their experiences of being treated differently at different weights - the same person just fatter or thinner.

Smoking is moot point.

Depends what it is. A skinny smoker is very unlikely to get certain surgeries unless they stop smoking. The same way doctors won't do certain surgeries unless someone loses weight.
So if a skinny non smoker gets heart surgery where a smoker wouldn't. Do they have non smoker skinny privilege?

Skinny people get treated. Fat people get told to lose weight. That IS skinny privilege.

I don't think it's a skinny thing, it's an attractive thing. You don't have to be skinny to be attractive, but it's true (nice) attractive people are treated differently

I used to be skinny and smoke. No matter what I went to the doctors for I was told it was because I smoked.
I have raynauds. Cos you smoke. Irregular periods. Try stopping smoking to see if that helps. Constantly runny nose. It's the smoking. Migranes. Well you do smoke so.... etc etc etc
If someone has something in their life that is clearly unhealthy that's what doctors tend to fixate on. It's not just fat people. I imagine if I'd have been a heavy drinker he would have focused on that.
Not saying it's right because i don't believe smoking was causing some of the issues. And I'm sure being fat isn't causing others peoples issues. But the facts are smoking is unhealthy. Being overweight is unhealthy. So that is what the doctor is immediately looking at.
Skinny people don't have any more privilege in that respect than non smokers have non smokers privilege.

But there is such a thing as pretty privilege.

I’ve been fat and I’ve been thin and I do think there’s a difference in how many people react. I wouldn’t call it skinny privilege though.

I also think there’s a big difference between being normal-fat (size 16, say) and being extremely fat, which I think must affect you far more profoundly.

“didn’t get the job. Skinny person did because privilege. Oh well. Won’t bother trying next time 🤷🏻‍♀️”

That’s pretty much how fat people feel. Or at least they find it demoralising when that happens. Same as when they go to the doctor for something to be told to lose weight.

I think calling it “privilege” when it’s something that you can change (in many cases) is a bit of a cop out.

“didn’t get the job. Skinny person did because privilege. Oh well. Won’t bother trying next time 🤷🏻‍♀️”

I agree with you. Slim with A cup boobs will get a different response than slim with C, D or larger ones.

Funny one this.
i think sadly obese people will often get negative comments and fewer job offers etc because their weight is considered by most to be unhealthy and not the ‘norm’ but that doesn’t mean there’s necessarily skinny privilege.

That’s exactly what skinny privilege is.

YANBU

I lost a lot of weight a few years back and noticed such a difference in how mainly men treated me. I have put a lot of the weight back on sadly and I am back to opening my own doors again.

I think it's a thing. But I think pretty privilege is a bigger thing - the two are a bit connected as in the stereotypical pretty person tends to be slim. But also some people are lucky and have good natural features and just look GOOD. I'm beyond ugly, and have been fat and now am slim. I'm still ugly but people treat me better now I'm not fat (eg pay more attention to me, less dismissive)

Also I forgot to say, I would have said I was active as a very big person and I was, for that size person, now having lost the weight, its night and day.

People who are supremely fit and healthy while also being morbidly obese are complete outliers, the vast majority are not. But pound to a penny, every single obese person will say 'oh Im fit and fat'.

It isnt a privileged set of ideals!!

Why would the world be designed for the morbidly obese, it shouldnt be.

Cant fit in airline seat - my problem.
Cant fit in a theatre seat - my problem

Yes people don't want to think most people (perhaps even including them) are biased and unfair but there are studies showing this to be true? So why do they deny people's experiences of being treated badly?