Why are people so obsessed with body shape?

[dearohdeary]

I've noticed on a daily occurrence people make comments to others about their body! My sister is 4 foot 11 and gets she's a doll etc. I'm 5 foot 3 and get oh I didn't realise you were so small!
My friend and her partner are over 6 foot and they're called giants by people.
I've overheard people in work commenting on others attributes too
Aibu to think it's so rude?

Try to not assume people are being rude

It's only rude if they make a thing of it

Otherwise it's just observation

I still wouldn't make comments. It's odd

I don't think it's odd

It's an observation that's all

I do think its odd OP, why do people feel the need to comment on anyones body/appearance?

It’s the kind of thing the dimwitted and socially awkward say because they don’t have enough theory of mind to think ‘Everyone remarks on this person’s height. I wonder if she gets tired of people asking her on a daily basis what the weather is like up there, or saying she’d be great at basketball?’

Yes it's thoughtless. Telling a short person they're short - as if they hadn't already noticed 🤷🏻‍♀️ also not much they can do about it either!

I also don't really care what people look like. I mean its not my business

I don't think calling someone over 6 foot a "giant" is an observation. It's factually wrong for a start.

Yes, I'm tiny and the number of people who comment is ridiculous as, at 51, I do well know that I'm tiny, thanks!
I only ever mention someone's height when it's a really tall man,like 6'6 and I stand next to them, just because I think, and they too, think the comparison is funny!

I agree OP. I think it's very rude. Tall, short, fat, thin - we are all aware of what we look like and don't need someone to tell us..... We are already self conscious and comments just make us feel worse

Yep as someone who is under 5 foot it is annoying how many people happily say unkind things about short people. Nothing we can do about it! It seems to be weirdly socially acceptable though

I've always wondered why society seems to think it's perfectly okay to comment on somebody's height

If I went up to somebody and said Christ, you've got a really big chin or wow, your nose is really long it would be deemed rude but it's an observation

How about if I comment on somebody's weight and say Damn, you're huge!

Comments on height is deemed okay
Comments on anything else is rude

5’3 is one inch shorter than average. You’re not small.

I’m of the group that likes to celebrate, people who have different physical characteristics.

Im 6’2” and love that i can be seen from the other side of a concert hall by my daughter, but aware i look a bit like Gru, that i’m usually the last person anyone wants to sit next to on the train, because i can look a bit scary to anyone who doesn’t know me, but a giant teddy bear to anyone who does. Our looks all have pros and cons.

But of course, it depends how well you know people, and if someone is sensitive about they most obvious feature, or it’s something that people could be upset easily around, you do have to tread very carefully.

Saying wow how short are you to a random stranger, is obviously rude.

Yeah.
I’m petite - shorter than average, slim, little hands, little feet etc.
My SO is huge 😳 6ft4, built like brick shithouse.
The amount of comments we get is ridiculous. About how he’s taking his toddler for a walk and then the vulgar “must be like a Rottweiler and a chihuahua in the bedroom” 🤨 Why? Just why?!

I'm always told I'm tiny. My gp records and gym machine say I'm 160cm! I'm a size 10 and 10 stone so not tiny framed too. It's odd

Absolutely this.

It's not odd, you're just being disingenuous.

What you mean is you don't like it and that's fair enough, but commenting on height whether short or tall, really isn't that odd.

It is odd. And it's really fucking annoying. I'm tall. I get told how tall I am alllll the time. I know I'm tall... I've been me all my life.

I'd never walk up to anyone and say oh aren't you fat, thin, tall, short etc. Mostly because I'm not a knob

This. Especially when someone makes a joke and thinks it's hilarious but can't conceive that you would have heard variations of it 1000 times before!

It is odd. It's very odd. I find anyone who comments on my height very odd indeed.

I always get "you're a big girl aren't you"
Not a girl for a start, and I'm not big, I'm just 5ft 10 and tall

5'3" and 10 stone? I'm picturing a 5'3" diameter sphere

Sorry!

Hahaha I'm a size 10

I came here to say I don't see what the fuss is about.. but I thought you said Body Shop not body shape 🤣