Big Versus Small

I'm sorry everyone but this is going to be a rant post. I can't help it. I've been quiet about it for too long.

Yesterday at work I had a girl come in who was a size 8. 8 is a pretty average size and we carry quite a few dresses in size 8. This girl thought she was fat though because our society has a serious problem with body image distortions. While we were looking through the gowns for this bride to try on, she found one she liked in a size 0. We didn't have it in her size and could not order it before her wedding. She absentmindedly said "Zero, who's a size zero, gosh." Then she looked at me and said I was probably a zero, to which I replied, "Actually, I'm a size 2." I was really annoyed.

I'm a naturally thin person. I don't make it a point to exercise or deny myself things I want to eat. I'm a vegetarian for animal rights reasons, not health reasons. I ride my bike to work sometimes because I think it's fun. Anyone who knows me just knows that I'm tall and thin. I always have been. Everyone in my family is.

Now, if everyone in my family were large, if we were all obviously overweight, nobody would say "Size 14, who's a size 14, gosh." They would keep their mouth shut. I don't understand when it became okay to criticize people for being thin. I'm not anorexic and you shouldn't assume that I am and tell me to eat more. Nobody tells bigger people to eat less, at least not to their face, so please stop telling smaller people to eat more. It's just rude, and quite frankly none of your business.