To think mil is rude for saying I’m skinny

[Ihavemyeye]

I’m 8 stone and 5’4 which is a healthy weight

The thing is because most people are overweight being called skinny is seen as a compliment now, rather than a rude thing to say.

It definitely is rude OP.

I suggest next time she says it you bring out the nhs bmi calculator in front of her and type in your details and show her you are within the health range. Then ask for her height and weight to check hers is within normal also 😁 out of concern of course

It's insulting OP. Fight fire with fire.
"Thank you for your concern, why don't you pull yourself up a couple of chairs and we'll discuss my weight problem..."

I think you maybe need to pick your battles.

I’m very slim and have been all my life. My immediate family are too. People seem to think that it’s ok to comment on those with lower weights but it would be unacceptable to say the opposite equivalent to an overweight person. I’d never say to someone that they are looking chubby. I’ve largely learnt to ignore it but it is irritating.

I am 5' 3"and toggle between 8.3 and 8.7, due to head and neck cancer seven years ago, I can no longer eat properly, people do comment, to which I reply, ah yes the cancer diet the only one that truly works.

It generally gets the silence required. 🙄😂

I wouldn't see it as insulting at all.
My late Dad had 'skinny rat' as a nickname for me - in those days, I WAS skinny!

Skinny isn’t necessarily a negative comment, skinny IS healthy.

This does my HEAD in. Nobody would turn around and tell some one they are fat to their face but it is acceptable to call someone skinny?

Nobody should be commenting on anyone's body size.

Ever.

Agreed.

Never comment on someone’s body size. Ever.

Slim is healthy and looks good. Skinny means too thin so it definitely is a negative comment.

Yes, it’s rude. Ignore until she repeats it though, then tell her you’d prefer she didn’t refer to your size, as it makes you feel uncomfortable. The end, hopefully.

Next time she says it

Quizzical look 'is that a good, or a bad, thing MIL?

Mine accused me of having an eating disorder as I'm skinny apparently.

That and the fact I couldn't eat starter, main and pudding when we went out for dinner 🤦‍♀️

Skinny to me means underweight for build and height, a negative thing. Slim is a healthy weight.

Just laugh merrily to show it's all a light joke and say " Better skinny than tubby/ chubby/chunky/dumpy/stout" (whatever is closest to MIL-shape.)

A lot of people would like to be considered skinny themselves and so consider it a compliment - there are a lot of brands using the word skinny as a result. Some people don't like that others are slimmer than them though and use it as an insult.

Agree with this. When you are say a size 12 and if I've ever lost weight people use the term "awww you look skinny"

Its seen as a positive that is why nobody says Hi Di your looking fat!

Pick your battles OP.

It sounds like it might be accurate, but entirely unnecessary and rude for her to point it out. Maybe she sees it as a compliment?

You can’t be too thin on Mumsnet, you should know that by now!

Oh stop, it's a compliment. Especially from someone of her generation

You know if you are a healthy slim size that skinny is meant as a compliment. 8st might look very slight on some builds or might look perfectly fine on others of your height depends on build, muscles, face shape and body shape ...etc.
But if you objectively look skeletal and gaunt at that weight then skinny wasn't a compliment. Even then, I'm guessing your MIL is of an age where super skinny Twiggy style body was all the rage so maybe it is still a compliment even if you look underweight.

I personally wouldn't comment on a woman's or girl's body size. They get enough of that from everywhere else.

You might like to have a search on here as there has been several variations of 'skinny is an insult/hurt that I was called skinny/can I call them fat when they call me skinny' type of threads over the months and years.

People’s view of what it healthy is skewed. So maybe she does think you look underweight even though you’re not. But it’s still rude.

You won’t get much sympathy as since being slim is seen as a positive thing you can usually get away with saying negative things. I remember people telling this girl she was as skinny as a rake which is hardly nice. You could hardly tell someone they’re as round as a barrel.

Always think its strange that people find it okay to say you are skinny. I eat like a horse and have always been slim. As a child I developed a huge complex about it and always wore a cardigan to hide my slender arms. It took me years to realise it was okay to be slim.

Yes I think it’s rude to comment on peoples bodies, unless specifically asked (even then dicey).

However I do think some people, particularly those with their own body issues, might see calling someone “skinny” as a compliment or good thing. If they associate skinny as being “good”