To think mil is rude for saying I’m skinny

[Ihavemyeye]

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

It depends on the context: your relationship with your MIL, if she has reason to suspect you would find "skinny" an insult, how she said it, and so on.

My grandmother recently told me I'm getting skinny. I took it as a compliment, because it certainly wasn't meant as a criticism. (I'm not skinny, as it happens. I was as a child, but no longer! I have lost a little weight, recently, so I suppose she noticed.)

Whether we like it or not, it's considered acceptable by most people to say someone is thin or skinny, though few would ever tell someone to their face that they're fat or chubby. Maybe it's better to say nothing at all, but by modern standards, most of the time "skinny" is intended as a compliment.

I think some fat people are so unhappy with their weight and hate themselves so much, they cannot understand how repeatedly being called skinny (skeletal, famine victim etc) can also make someone thin feel unattractive and disgusting. Either that or they are a bit thick.

It’s weird that people can’t understand that while being called fat may well be the ‘worse’ insult, being called skinny can be an unpleasant insult too. Again, a lack of imagination or intelligence at play.

Like I say, I’ve had both.

Maybe we should all be a little less concerned for the opinions of others eh?

I’m 5’3 and 8.7 stone and I was out at a restaurant with an friend and a group of women on the next table were laughing and talking about me whispering (loudly and pointing at me) that I needed to eat a burger! I told them they all needed to eat a salad! It shut them up! Some people are just rude…

. My teen nickname was "Matchstick". How I wish I still had it.....

I find it quite easy to go through life not upsetting people by 1) not commenting on their weight and also 2) not questioning them on their fertility (when are you having kids, why the age gap etc).
More people should try that approach.

I'm with you, @2Bazookas!

Happy to be called skinny. It probably does mean “you’re too thin” but you probably aren’t. I’m your height but heavier and I get called skinny which is amusing as I’m definitely not! But I’d estimate about 70% of adults are overweight now so us slim people look thinner by comparison and I’m here for it

I think the degree of rudeness depends on the context, but as a slimmer person myself I find it irritating that people think it is OK to comment on my weight in a way they wouldn't to/about an overweight person. I suffered from eating disorders for many years when I was younger, a fact not many people know, which complicates this further.

Agree with PP that have said to pick your battles, but if it's something she does on a regular basis (comment on your weight) then I would be tempted to say something or have your OH day something.

What happened to the OP?

"It’s weird that people can’t understand that while being called fat may well be the ‘worse’ insult, being called skinny can be an unpleasant insult too."

They are equal insults to me.