I am sooo happy to be a part of a society where people are so quick to judge. (sarcasm) Just yesterday, I forgot one of the MAIN reasons I hate shopping: people judge.
I’m obese. I know it, but I also know that I’m a person just like you. This especially applies to the people who were shopping at American Eagle yesterday as I went in there with my sister who is a size 6. Thank you Mr. Manager for asking how my day was, and offering to help me, despite probably noticing that I am NOT the proper size to fit in your clothing. However, to the girls who gave me side eye when I would look at a shirt (for my sister’s bday, mind you), I am a person too. I’m not a freak of nature, although people like you try to make it evident that I do not belong in your SUPER special regular sized clothing store.
I remember in college this was a frequent aspect of shopping at the mall with friends. I’m the big girl of the group, but I would go shopping with my friends who fit in smaller sizes and offer a “yay”/”nay” on the outfit. That’s just what friends do. I’d get the stares all the time when looking through shirts for my friend who wore an XS or asking the associate if they had this in her size. Oh MAN, the look on the employee’s face when I would ask that.
I got the stares ALL the time, especially in places like Hollister or the horribly over-scented Abercrombie where I had to suck in to get past all the racks in the store (enter humiliation). Not to mention, I’m 5’11”, a towering giant in a sea of shorter women. So, I’m easily noticed.
By the time all my friends were done shopping, they’d offer to go with me to Lane Bryant. I was already just drained and depressed from being the fat girl in the group of friends who couldn’t buy that super cute cardigan that my friend got to buy, so I’d just offer a “thanks, but I have enough clothes” line. A little white lie.
For those of you who are quick to judge people who aren’t of normal size, seriously, think about what you are doing. Most of the time, people my size have NO self esteem and really, are we bothering you that much? It’s not like I’m bumping into you or doing anything to bother you because of my size. Just seriously, I’m a person too. Please try to remember that.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience at the mall – some people just suck.
It’s ok. People are just lame, but I just will never understand why they do what they do, ya know?
I’m currently studying Psychology with the helps of one day counseling people regarding eating habits, and one of the mindsets I run into again and again is the idea that since obesity is somehow the “fault” of the person, it makes it okay to judge. It frustrates and angers me that people seem to forget that every individual has feelings, and that you we often have NO IDEA about the back story that has brought that person to where they are today. Unfortunately, with this situation there is no good answer. At my largest I got the same sideways stares and whispers/smirks. I would meet their eye, and smile my friendliest smile, hoping to remind them that we’re all human. Sorry you had to deal with that, people are ignorant.
I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience. Before I lost weight I never noticed how people acted toward me, but when I did lose weight I definitely noticed how many more people were nice to me. I was so upset about the fact that people wanted to talk to the new me, and not the old me.
It is so lame.
OMG…this makes me super sad. To witness that the treatment is completely different (for real), is just terrible. If I ever lose this weight and witness that, I just have no idea how I’ll react. 🙁
Was it Tyra or some other model who got in a fat suit to see how different she would be treated? That story was SO interesting. People are so judgmental and rotten.
I think seeing it happen helped to make me a better person. I’m so aware of how I treat people now, and make sure I’m not being one of the people at the mall.
I think it was Tyra. Those experiments are so eye opening, I would think they would leave an impression on everyone.