You're as big as the side of a barn!

"YOU'RE AS BIG AS THE SIDE OF A BARN!"

In no situation would that statement be an acceptable thing to say to an overweight or obese person. Why? Oh, c'mon. You don't need me to answer that. Aside from being just plain inappropriate, it's mean, rude and frankly, none of your *bleeping* business.

That philosophy understood, why in the world would anyone say the exact opposite, "You're so skinny, a large gust of wind could whisk you away!" and not expect a negative reaction?
NEWSFLASH: "SKINNY" is not a nice term. You may as well call someone "frightening" looking. Slender, thin or even waify is a better term... but an even BETTER choice for you to make would be to SHUT UP.

• "Jane Anne! My goodness you're skin and bones!" said a 300( ) lb well-intentioned sweetheart of an associate of mine who loves fried chicken, fried catfish, french fries, fried fruit pies (you get my drift).

The response I wanted to give: "I figured I could play the part of Jack Sprat and you could assume the other role." The response I really did give: "Not quite skin and bones... check out the triceps I've been working to define, and I have some really strong leg musles now. Thanks for noticing my hard work and dedication. I appreciate it!"

• "GIRL! You're so skinny... I just hate you." Said a "glass half empty" "suzie-complainer" associate of mine who is not overweight, but has a "little more to love" and could stand to drop 25 pounds.

The response I wanted to give: "If you weren't so lazy, you'd be thin, too. If you worked out instead of sitting around complaining about not being as thin as the thin girls, you just may be one of them." The response I actually gave: "I have a great home workout system called "Turbo Jam"... I think I sent you an invitation to my weight loss challenge exercise house party... since you missed it, you can do it anytime. Let me write down the website for you..."

• "Gosh you're skinny! You're wasting away to nothing! We decided we're going to force-feed you donuts on Friday mornings!" Said another well-intentioned yet etiquettely challenged associate who also exercises her mouth by complaining about her weight more than she does by doing something to change her body.

The response I wanted to give: "That's totally rude. I'm not wasting away, I have lost most of my body fat and am defining my muscles. ...And about the donuts, I don't even crave them donuts anymore because I try to put as little garbage in my body as possible, and save my calories for things that I really want. Maybe you'd be thinner if you exercised a little self-control." The response I actually gave: "Well, I did have a week-long stomach bug and lost some weight because of that, but the bulk of my weight was dropped through hard work and healthy eating decisions on a daily basis. This is the first time I've NOT dieted and is the most success I've had losing weight that isn't going back on. If you need an exercise buddy, just holler."

I am a 29 year old woman who has yo-yo dieted because of "self esteem" issues since my junior high varsity cheerleading squad appointment. That was a long time ago. All those years of yo-yoing have no doubt taken a toll on my body... it's bad for your heart. I'm healthy now. I am 5'9", 141 pounds, take vitamins every day and exercise nearly every day using a mix of aerobic, anaerobic, weight/resisitance and cardio programs. I have great muscle tone. I don't feel things "jiggling around" when I go for a jog anymore. I'm not skinny, I'm an athlete. I'm not unhealthy, I'm health-aware.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER. Support "big" people through kindness and example. Being overweight, especially obese, is DEADLY. It's a preventable cause of death. Support your friends, your family, your associates. Be positive. Exercise. Take care of the temple God gave you. And, no matter what, when someone who doesn't have your motivation says a comment like the ones I documented above, take a moment and think about that person's motivation for saying it. It's probably jealousy... rarely would it be concern (I'm not NOT talking about anorexic people... that's just as if not MORE dangerous than obesity, and MORE disgusting, in my opinion, to see) so instead of answering back with hate, answer back with help.

AND, NO MATTER WHAT... don't call someone skinny or bone-thin. It's mean.