For some reason, skinny-shaming, still perfectly OK

The dumb controversy over Adele losing 100 pounds and now looking too skinny is something I can speak to personally.

Six years ago, I set myself on the track toward slimming down, ultimately dropping from right around 300 pounds to where I’ve been since the summer of 2014, between 180 and 185.

The response wasn’t universal acceptance from friends, family, acquaintances, whatever.

One guy at the gym, for example, kept telling me, whenever he’d see me, and I’m talking, for the next couple of years: “Dude, you look like you’re on drugs.”

Seriously.

I lose 100+ pounds, and I look like a drug addict.

(I don’t go to that gym anymore.)

Another guy, and this just happened recently, started this awkward conversation.

“So, how are you doing?”

I was in line at the grocery store.

“Fine. Thanks for asking. Hope you’re doing well.”

Pause.

“I mean, really, how are you doing?”

“Um …”

“Didn’t you have cancer a few years ago?”

No!

Didn’t have cancer. Didn’t become a drug addict.

I’m actually just … healthy.

I decided to become healthy.

And now, Adele, she’s going through this same nonsense, because she worked hard, ate right, got herself in shape, good health.

And: she’s too skinny.

Something’s wrong.

She didn’t need to lose weight. Society doesn’t treat people right.

She looks unhappy.

I don’t know Adele, obviously, but I’d bet she’s not unhappy, at least about the weight loss.

This is experience speaking.

It’s not like you give up your life to shed unhealthy pounds.

I eat pizza, hamburgers, pasta, lots of things I used to eat.

Just not as much of that stuff, and almost nothing in terms of sweets – candy bars, donuts, cookies.

I do a six-mile run most days, and the days that I miss, something doesn’t feel right.

I wear 29-inch waist jeans (used to wear 46s). Small shirts (used to be XXLs).

I don’t get headaches all the time like I used to.

My joints, even with the running, feel better than I felt when I was in my 20s.

I’m healthy, happy.

And yet, all these years later, yeah, people think I had cancer, and that’s why I lost the weight, or, for all I know, that guy is still at the gym telling people I’m a drug addict.

It’s socially unacceptable to fat-shame, for good reasons.

I’m all for adding skinny-shaming to our list of causes for 2020.

Story by Chris Graham