Last week, I went to the doctors' to pick up some medication. It wasn't anything too serious, it's just something I need to take everyday and I had run out so I went to the doctors' to pick some more up. When the nurse called my name and I followed her to the room, the doctor told me to take a seat. He asked me what the name of my medication was, if I had any problems with it, and how many doses he was going to give me. Then he gave me the medication. That's where the appointment should have ended.
He decided to measure my blood pressure, weight and height. From doing this, he decided that it was okay to insult me based on what the measurements showed.
"You are severely underweight." The doctor told me.
"I know." I replied.
"You need to eat more." The doctor said.
"No I don't, I'm underweight because of my fast metabolism and due to genetics." I said.
"Well, can't you just chomp on some more toffee and chocolate and eat more meals, you are too underweight." He said.
"My diet is fine, I eat more than the average amount, I just don't put any weight on due to genetic inheritance." I said.
"I'm pretty sure you have an eating disorder. To be a normal weight, you need to double the amount that you are already". He said.
Not gonna lie, I cried a lot that day. It is obvious that I came into contact with a doctor who was judgemental, created incorrect assumptions, and had apparently never heard of genetics before. I am outraged at how he immediately decided I had an eating disorder just because I'm underweight.
I'm going to make one thing clear: YOUR WEIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS A RESULT OF YOUR DIET. Take myself, for example. I eat 3 large-sized meals a day, and always have room for desserts and snacks in the evening. I can eat pizza for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch and Chinese takeaway for tea and still not gain any weight. Want to know why? Because I have a fast metabolism, meaning I burn off all my food so that it can't be stored as fat. I inherited this trait because it runs in my family. So guess what? This means I don't have an eating disorder and I'm actually an incredibly healthy person. *claps*
I feel very lucky. I can eat and eat and eat and not put any weight on. I'm sure there's lots of people out there who would love this attribute. Therefore, some stupid doctor who doesn't know anything about me isn't going to put me down about my weight. Because, let's be honest, although some days I feel sad at how skinny my wrists and legs are, it's going to benefit me when I'm older and I wouldn't change it for the world.
People feel that it is appropriate to make comments about me. Whenever I meet someone new, I hear comments like "Wow, you're so small and tiny!" or "Oh my God, your wrists are so skinny" or "You are extremely thin". My question is: would you say this to an overweight person? "Wow, you're so big and massive!" or "Oh my God, your wrists are so fat" or "You are extremely large". You wouldn't say that, therefore you shouldn't say equivalent things to slim people either.
Calling someone skinny is just as offensive as calling someone fat. You wouldn't ever go up to someone and tell them they look fat today, whereas I get strangers coming up to me and telling me I look so skinny today. How is that fair?
Here are a few names I've been called in the past: stick insect, Twiggy, a bag of bones, easy to snap, flat-chested, etc. The list goes on.
One comment which has stuck in my mind recently is a woman who I speak to often who picked up some of my shorts and said "I wouldn't even be able to get my ankle in these, you are so skinny. It's clear you're not going to have a natural birth."
I'm an 18 year old girl. I don't need some 40+ year old woman telling me I won't be able to conceive children naturally. I don't plan to have children any time soon, and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
My weight is none of your business. And it would be the doctor's business if I was unhealthy. But since I'm perfectly fine, healthy and happy with the way I look, the doctor can *excuse my language* piss off.
If you're happy with your body and you are healthy, then forget about what the figures are when you measure yourself. Forget about what people say to you. Focus on the fact that you have a body, and it is keeping you alive. That is all you need.
If you would like to watch the video I uploaded to YouTube about this topic where I elaborate on some other stuff too, then please go to my YouTube channel (bunnydiver1997) or watch below.
-bunnydiver.
. However, I wanted to briefly explain the video through a blo...){kind=link}
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