Eating Disorder Support Forum banner
  • Important - Please Read This website may include conversations, media, and content around topics relating to eating disorders, trauma, addiction, and mental health. Please be aware that this content may be upsetting, difficult, or triggering for some. EDSF is intended as a place of safety. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, Feast-ED.org is a resource that lists the organizations set up to help.

Do people comment on your thinness? How does it make you feel?

15K views 101 replies 97 participants last post by  rxtting.doll  
#1 ·
Just wondering, and around what time people started commenting. I was an overweight child until I started doing Karate when I was 8 years old. I was still chubby, but started losing weight from the exercise. My diet was still absolute shit so it didn't make a huge difference until I got to higher belts and was training more intensely and going through puberty. I was 12 when I read Wintergirls as part of assigned reading. Obviously things didn't go too well for the main character, but there was far too much "success" for far too long of the book, and it inspired/triggered me, as well as extreme hazing when starting training for my black belt. At 13, I was 5'8" and 112lbs of pure muscle. I had like no fat on my body at all. Rarely got my period. It's ridiculous how bad my body dysmorphia was in hindsight. I felt so fat all the time, and was eating OMAD whenever possible. The only people who ever commented on my weight was when I went to the doctor and they saw how much weight I had dropped so quickly. Without even seeing me, they diagnosed me with anorexia. This is something that stayed on my charts for years before my mom managed to get them to take it off. I always wonder if my parents knew or not, but I don't want to ask now. At that time I had only one friend, and she was pretty severely underweight. She had a high metabolism and no access to proper nutrition at home, and was going through the same extreme training and hazing I was. I always compared myself to her. Eventually I started opening up to her about my eating habits and overexercising. She screenshotted all my snaps and showed her mom, who then sent them to mine. I managed to convince her pretty shortly that it wasn't an issue anymore, but I was still force fed large portions for a long time. Nobody ever commented on my weight loss or subsequent weight gain other than the doctor that one time. I've had a few minor relapses, but none really stuck. Lost a couple lbs and gained them right back. Then in May 2022 I relapsed and got really serious about it mid-November and I've lost 10 lbs since. I don't notice a huge difference. My stomach looks a bit flatter and I have like no ass now unfortunately (Gotta start going to the gym and building some lean muscle). But somehow people seem to ve noticing this time, and have had no qualms commenting on my weight. On one hand, it feels good to know I'm noticably thinner, but it mostly pisses me off. Why do people notice now? I'm still not even underweight. Im not even at the absolutely low end of a healthy BMI. I'm just "healthy". But suddenly everyone and their mothers have something to say about my body, and they really aren't even compliments. I had the flu REALLY bad for a week and didn't eat. But I started my period and was super bloated and had actually gained a couple lbs over that time. When I got back to work my supervisor said it must have really did a number on me and I look anorexic. It was validating but it pissed me off because it didn't make sense. I was heavier and bigger than I was the last time I worked. Then today someone I was seeing for about a month around October replied to my snapchat story of my outfit today saying "Hate to be that guy but do be careful with diets, you're lookin real slim but nutrition is good". Like the post wasn't even about my body, just the fit. I guess I'm glad people are noticing my weight loss but it's not compliments. It's all just coming in the form of unwarranted comments and advice. I wish at that point people would just keep their mouths shut. I'm not even skinny yet, just average thin, bmi 20.7. I'm supposed to be hanging out platonically with this guy tomorrow and now I don't even want to. He already annoyed me, and it's the unwarranted advice and comments that really just put me over the edge. I just wanna disappear. I also wanted to fast or heavily restrict these next couple days off, but we're getting dinner and no matter what I get it's gonna totally fuck that up. And now I feel pressured to eat a large portion since he's concerned.
 
#57 ·
My parents all the time. At my lw my friends did too. Once even a stranger walking down the street.
 
#58 ·
The skinniest girl in my class (I have suspicions about her having an ED based on statements she's made concerning her body and circulation (who comments on their circulatory system for no reason? I don't know. Exactly.)) Anyways, she told me, today, that I was tiny too (as in, like her) because we had to take lift our shirts up for practice placing a 12 lead, and it just be living in my head rent free in the best way possible.

In summary: the comments about me being thin are good, good shit
 
#59 ·
I either get imposter syndrome/think they're gaslighting me (at least, when people used to be concerned, aka just my parents who told me I "needed more fat on me" ewww blehhhh and a few suspicious friends who would ask if I was ok) OR get a high off of it and realize people are actually concerned about me. Which is also painful because I don't like being perceived unless I want to be, if that makes sense. I want to be invisible unless I actually want some social contact lol.

I haven't had strangers comment on me ever. I think that would just be weird and disgusting...
It's my dream though (terrible, I know...) that one day people (very close people) will actually be begging me to gain and be concerned about my actual survival. I plan to recover at that point, but who knows what this ED will do to me, sigh
 
  • Like
Reactions: hailstorm89
#61 ·
I was clearly overweight before so at first it was all compliments and telling me how good I looked. I shrugged them off. Now it's getting preachy. "You don't need to lose any more weight! You're getting too thin"
My mom noticed the other day because I was wearing a pair of jeans she gifted me and they were all saggy. They fit me perfectly when she gave them to me. Then my little brother playfully grabbed my waist cinching in my oversized clothes and saying "look, she's small!" That made me so happy.

They're starting to get worried which is annoying. I'm finally not fat and getting thinner every week. All my clothes are too big. I missed this.
 
#63 ·
when we had first aid training at work, the instructor used me for a demonstration in front of everyone. i honestly don't even remember what it was properly but it was some sort of thing that went around my torso. she was going to put the adult size one on me but then said "wait, I think you might actually be able to fit into the child size one!" and for some reason everyone watched as she tried to get the child size one around me. it fit and everyone made a fuss and found it funny?? i was so humiliated🗿
 
#64 ·
I can relate to being obese as a child. I was always one of the biggest kids out of everyone else my age. This only changed in April because that was when I started calorie counting. People have said that I look thinner and stuff, one that stuck with me was my brother saying that I was thin though, I don't know why, but it did.
 
#66 ·
i HATE when people comment on my body. makes me irritated and makes me think every time i am around them that they’re hyper aware of my body. which makes me feel more hyper aware. also they usually have a way of projecting their insecurities so i guess i just feel that energy when the comment is made and feel like i have to compensate by covering up my arms or whatever
 
#67 ·
usually (before relapsing) i would find it quite flattering, if a bit embarrassing, because i have no idea how to answer when someone compliments me lol. also i have bdd so i can’t even see it, but my body naturally stays in the bmi 17s with healthy non-restrictive eating and ig that’s skinny for other people (to me it’s not, it’s my normal).
now idk, it bothers me because i know i’m approaching a low bmi and people comment on my body means i don’t look clearly anorexic yet. it’s all very confusing.
 
#69 ·
No one really talked about it when I was super skinny, but now that I’ve gained and am a normal weight people constantly comment “how do you stay so skinny” just bc I’m a manager at a restaurant like girlie how can you feel so comfortable commenting on someone’s body.

Makes me feel like they’re making fun of me because I know Im not that skinny anymore
 
#70 ·
In my case it's a friend I see and every time she comments on my weight. I think she used to have an ED years before as she dropped hints in the past that she was a 'failed bulimic' (I think she probably had binge eating disorder). She's a bit fat but not huge/noticeably. I always catch her looking at my legs or my stomach. Last time she said she was glad to see I was no longer too skinny and that I was looking 'healthy' and 'nicely slim' this time. I wanted to die, she might as well have said 'you got fat'. Then the time before that she was saying 'your arms are good but otherwise you are too skinny.' I should tell her not to comment on my weight, but actually I still want the 'you are too skinny' comments and use it as motivation....
 
#75 ·
Nope, my close friend gently enquired but other than that, not a word. It kinda reinforces the whole “I can’t be that thin, no one else has noticed my weight loss, I can keep going bc I’m getting away with it” which sounds utterly ridiculous to say but.. that’s how my head spins it 🥲
 
#77 ·
this year ive lost 35lbs and the only people who have commented are my parents, its usually that theyre worried about me rather than compliments. i feel like no one else has noticed even though i went from mid 20 bmi to low 15...

even my boyfriend hardly noticed, i was talking to him about my ed recently and he asked me if i was underweight... which made me feel great (not)
 
#78 ·
Well it’s almost/is winter here and I started a new job so tbh … unless you knew me before either of those two things (winter because you need to bundle up), you wouldn’t know I’ve lost weight.😂🤷‍♀️
 
#79 ·
At my low weight people would comment all the time, it would really piss me off at the time. Now I miss it. I miss the backhanded validation that I got.