5 examples of thin privilege which prove that slim women have it easy

If you think looks don't matter at all, then you probably have never heard of thin privilege.

Sarwat Fatima
जुलाई 06, 2017

Life is usually unfair, but thin privilege is the epitome of biasness. Photo Courtesy: Pinterest/ UpliftConnect.com

There's hardly a woman on the face of the Earth, who has not been body shamed at least once in her lifetime. However, what I am about to say might offend all the skinny beauties out there, but it's the hard truth. Being slim bestows you with some privilege--thin privilege to be precise. Now, before you disregard the theory completely, hear me out.

We live in a world, which pays huge emphasis on how you look. And no matter how superficial it sounds--it happens every f***king day. Don't believe it? Well, here are some of the classic examples that would make you think otherwise:

#Example 1: A Slim Woman Can Eat Whatever She Wants Without Getting Shamed
I can say this from experience. You see, I am quite skinny myself and I love devouring junk food. My frame does not do justice to my appetite. But, in all these years, I have never once been told to eat less or got reprimanded for my food choices. On several occasions, I have stocked my plate with a hundred different delicacies without anyone batting an eyelid. But, the same courtesy is not extended to some of my friends, who--well, let's just say do not fit into the idyllic 'slim' category.

"Moti, itna mat kha, phat jayegi," is what Sakshi Chaudhary* was told over and over again while growing up. She admits she could never eat in peace because everyone thought it was their divine right to constantly comment on her weight. Some even used to say: "Ration khatm kar ke uthegi, kya?" And well, I can only imagine how bad it must have sting.

#Example 2: Dating Is Much Easier For Slim Women
Yikes! And they say love is blind. But, turns out men pay more attention to the way a woman looks than crush on her personality. Well, blame the media here because it's they who have glorified a certain body type. For instance, take any film you want, the protagonist in 99.9% of the cases would be a woman with an hourglass figure or a skinny frame. Women with heavier frames have to be content with side roles, many of them making a mockery of their weight. Thus, when men think of their dream girl, they always have a slender woman in mind.

"Dating is much tougher for women who are not skinny. Because people constantly comment on your weight. Once, I met a guy thorough Tinder and everything was hunky dory till the time we just connected through phone. After I added him to my Facebook, he went through my profile pictures and this is what he had to say: "You are fatter than I thought!" reveals Nisha Joshi*. And she is not the only one who had it tough because of her weight.

Saira Malhotra* too has a similar experience to share. "I was once dating a guy who constantly used to tell me that I would look much hotter if I lost weight. Needless to say, I dumped him for good."

#Example 3: Shopping Is So Much Easier If You Are Slim
Visit any retail brand for a decent piece of dress and you will be spoilt for choices. However, there are certain conditions that apply. If you wear the size small, large, medium, or large--then picking out the perfect ensemble is probably a piece of cake for you. However, if you are a plus size or wear XXL clothes, things get trickier.

"So, for my 25th birthday I decided to buy a new dress for myself. But, the only problem was that I couldn't find anything worth spending my money. Why? Because there were no clothes my size in most of the decent brands," says Pia Prakash*.

"I can't shop at H&M, Forever 21, and Zara at all. The only clothes that fit me there belong to the 'oversize' category. Not to mention, they look horrendous. And that's the problem. Shopping is such a task because brands that do cater to my size have really ugly clothes," she says.

#Example 4: Slim Women Make More Money At Work
Wait, what?

Yup, it's true. As bizarre as it may sound, but there are studies that prove slim women make more moolah than their plus size co-workers. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, a woman's weight has an effect on how much money she will make at her job, and that women who gain weight may damage their earnings. In fact, Forbes magazine further conducted a survey that revealed "thin women earn an average of $22,000 more than an average sized woman. Heavier set women loose between $9-19,000 than their counterparts."

#Example 5: If You Are Thin, Assumptions Are Not Made Based On Your Weight
Ladies, if you have a slender frame, no one would call you sick--unless of course you are too skinny. But, as far as most slim-looking women are concerned, no health assumptions are made based on their weight. However, if a woman is a little heavy, everyone automatically assumes that she is bound to suffer from an ailment in the future.

Not cool at all!