‘You’re so skinny, you’re disgusting’.

A woman from Hornchurch has spoken exclusively to the Havering Daily about the challenges she faces living with weight issues.

Ever since I was a child I have always been skinny. That’s how I call myself. People are often kind and describe me as slim, as they feel the word skinny is too personal, however I am skinny.

A lot of you reading this are probably saying to themselves, ‘oh lucky you don’t rub it in’ as perhaps you battle with diets and trying to keep your weight down. Something I really know nothing about.

However, it’s not actually what it seems. Being skinny can be as difficult as being over weight but on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Do you know what it’s like in the summer to buy a summer dress and put it on and you feel like a ghost in it? Where am !? Is there anyone in this dress?

You watch lots of other girls on the street who fit so perfectly in these cute little dresses and you can’t find yourself in yours. You look like the coat hanger. You start to feel so self conscious it’s unbelievable.

I remember buying a bikini once as I wanted to be like all the other girls out there, what a mistake that was. I looked like a drain pipe, something I have been called many, many times. Of course I never wore that bikini.

All these are things people don’t think about when they wish to be slim. This is the reality of life as a stick pin as I get called daily.

I don’t starve myself, I don’t have an eating disorder, I am just naturally thin. So the package of being thin comes with many disadvantages as i have written above, another is the poke in the side you get from people.

How many of you have experienced the ‘oh aren’t you thin’ comments as you get jabbed in the side as a confirmation of how skinny you actually are. Why oh why do people have to do this? And you can’t do this in return. I couldn’t and clearly wouldn’t jab a larger person in the side and say ‘oh aren’t you chubby’. This is definitely is not the thing to do. Why highlight something like this, it’s rude and not correct.

We all live with the shape we are, and we all make do with the shape we are no matter how much we try and change it. The Comments that come with being slim are quite amazing really. I will provide you with a few just to show you how amusing it can be. I say amusing as I have learnt to laugh them off after all these years.

I have been called ‘drain pipe, stick insect, runner bean, the best one i had last winter was ‘oh you are so thin you look like a selfie stick.’ First time I’d ever heard that one.

The one that hurt and damaged me the most that I will always remember came when I was nineteen years old and one of a large store cosmetic women I had spoken to about make up said to me ‘You’re so skinny you’re disgusting.’ That got to me and to this day I carry that remark.

All weight issues can be a problem for people, having been through these experiences and still going through them I can appreciate people’s concerns and fears with their weight. But let me shout this out to you and please listen, you are beautiful regardless of your shape or size. So what you don’t fit into society’s correct size pattern, who cares! You are yourself so love yourself the way you are and be confident in yourself. Large or small you are beautiful.

If you are someone who likes to have the odd dig at a person for their size because you think it’s funny, let me tell you that it really isn’t funny and you can cause that person a lot of damage. Please think again. Beauty comes from the inside out not outside in. Your heart is what shines through not if you fit into the perfect dress.