How is it okay to insult a stranger on the street about their weight?

Question

I know, personally, I've had some guy sitting outside a bar tell me I would look good with more weight on me.

I've had people call me anorexic. I've had people tell me to eat something - All people I have no idea who they are. I notice when I'm at parties sitting and talking with a couple people, some guy will usually say either "You should eat something" OR my favorite, they'll look straight at me, 'talking to other guys' and state "I think fat chicks are hotter then those sticks" or similar to that. I won't ever bring up weight. I don't tease people for being overweight.. so I don't even know why they're defensive O_o

Anyways, I want to know why that's considered acceptable, to me it's disgusting. Whether they're saying something similar to a bigger chick or a smaller chick.

Answer 1

I don't think it is appropriate. Friends may joke or express concern if they think you are at an unhealthy weight, but I don't think it is OK for stranger to give their opinion on your wieght without your asking them. They don't know your habits, lifestyle, health, etc.

Answer 2

On the street, no. That's never acceptable and I used to respond to those underhanded insults. My family and their friends find it necessary to comment on my weight, eating habits, whatever. I have a snappy comeback.  They accused me of anorexia a couple of times, that was after years of fat jokes. My mother was rail thin, and I was scared she had cancer. I never said anything about her weight. I asked if she were ill, because she ate all the time.

Fast forward 10 years and my mother is seriously overweight because of her diet and meds from a terminal illness, not Cancer, terminal just the same.

I have had an acquaintance who was painfully thin and after knowing her for several months, I watched her go for days without eating more than a piece of fruit. I made her a vegetarian meal, told her how many calories were in it and I expected her to eat. She was a serious vegetarian in a group of meat eaters and she was embarrassed to say anything. Girl ate like a horse.

Next time someone makes one of those snide comments, you can respond, "Did I ask for your opinion? I might gain weight, but you'll always be an idiot." For guys like that, it works in reverse.

Confrontation and witty comebacks are remarkable at shutting people up and restoring ones self esteem. Some people just have to find others to put down, to make themselves feel better.

Golden rule: "Opinions are like buttholes. Everyone has them, they usually stink and I didn't ask for one!"

If you're healthy, not anemic, why should you care?

On the other hand, I holler "OW, get off me!" Only when fat people sit on me in an airplane. I made a comment to a woman in a buffet line because she was rude. She screamed at me, "Are you calling me fat!?!"  I retorted, "No, I was pointing out your lack of courtesy. We can all see you're fat. What's your point?"

Answer 3

It depends on how they say it, and why they say it.  If they say it like how the person who was 'talking to other guys' said it, that is not aprropriate, but if they say it how the first person said it, I do not think of it as offencive.  They might just be worried about you.  You said that they were strangers, so they probobly did not know if you were anorexic, and were worried about you because they thought you were.  If they say it to someone who is overweight, unless it is family, a close friend, or a doctor, it does not matter how they say it, and it is still offensive.  I have a problem much like you.  No matter how much I eat, I don't gain mch weight.  I have always been skinny.  Not unhealthy skinny, but the type of skinny that most girls want to be.

Answer 4

It's okay because they don't know you, and are offering unbiased information about their aesthetic reaction to your appearance.

Try just not worrying about it because they don't know you and you don't know them, so what they think really has no impact on you at all.