Weigh in Wednesday: Size-isms
As much as we try to ignore them, stereotypes exist.
Common ones- race, gender, occupation, weight…
With each one of those that I just mentioned, without meaning to, your brain probably jumped to one particular direction of those stereotypes, usually the one you identify with most.
But what about the opposite of “traditional” stereotypes?
It exists for all stereotypes, but today I’m talking about weight.
As PC as some people try to be, it’s no secret that there’s a stereotype out there about people being overweight. “Size-ism” if you will.
Because someone’s overweight you may assume they’re lazy, eat a lot of fast food, don’t work out, etc, etc.
We all know these are potentially wrong- maybe someone’s overweight but they could kick your butt in a marathon. Maybe they have a disease that causes trouble with weight, or it’s a side effect of medication. Maybe they’re already lost weight & you don’t know it. The possibilities are endless.
But what about the opposite?
What’s the first thing you think, before your filter kicks in, about someone who is very thin?
Do you assume they don’t eat? That they exercise excessively? That they’re unhealthy?
It’s the same thing as being overweight: you have no idea why they are thin. Maybe they do have an eating disorder or other health issue, and you’re right to be concerned. But maybe it just runs in the family, they have a condition that makes weight gain difficult, or they’re just naturally lanky?
Bottom line is, you never know. About anything. Until you ask, learn, or decide it doesn’t matter.
What do you think about weight stereotypes?
