How would you handle being body shamed?

26 comments

1. I’m too convinced of how hot I am to be body shamed. People try it all the time, especially online. But just because *they* don’t perceive me as their idea of hot doesn’t mean I’m not

2. In the past I’ve said, “oh, I’m so sorry you feel so bad about yourself that you needed to say that.”

3. It upsets me. But not because I think I must be terrible so much as, “Why is this person judging me for my appearance when doing so doesn’t even make sense to my brain?”

4. “It wouldn’t be fair to others for me to be so perfect”

5. I’ve never been body shamed but if someone said something negative like that, I’d laugh so hard in their face and then tell them to fuck off.

6. The past two years my body went through a lot of things and I’m so thankfull for what it is capable. It would not bother me.

7. I usually tell people detailed story about how my body is actively trying to kill me and that’s why I look so sickly thin. They get upset, grossed out and generally feel really bad about asking. I just got so tired of it happening so often, than I lost all filter. You gonna so much as tell me how I need to eat a burger and I’ll tell you about my frequent explosive diarrhea in great detail. All of the details. Might even show you a photo. That’s what you get from being up in other people business.

8. I’ve had a few on Instagram tell me I’m photoshopped so I usually reply “thanks for the compliment” because that’s how I see it. You think I took the time to edit myself, big ego boost for me

9. I don’t say anything when it happens, whatever they’re saying is probably true anyway. I’d like to think that the next time it happens, I’ll defend myself, but I know I won’t.

10. My relatives and family does this a lot and they aren’t going to change at first it bothered me now I try to not dwell on it and have self confidence at the end of the day everyone has opinion so you must put a filter on everything

11. I believe reducing someone to a physical feature or stereotyping them based on their features is dehumanizing and I only believe dehumanizing to be a fucked up tactic of warfare.

    I cringe when I see both republicans and democrats doing it, or liberals and conservatives. It perpetuates the same cycle. No you aren’t morally sound to body shame someone because you don’t like them or they’re a bad person.

12. I don’t care what other people think. I teach middle school and recently a student said “I don’t like your dress”. I replied Then it’s a good thing I don’t take you shopping with me!

13. I’m 23 and still have a really hard time brushing it off. I’ve heard disparaging comments about how skinny, unhealthy, and ugly I looked ever since I was a toddler. I don’t ever show my reaction upfront or have a strong confrontation with the person who body shamed me, but internally, I am falling apart and feel like crying.

    My extended family members have been the main source of the shaming, but I am more hurt by the comments ex partners have said about my body. I’ve been told I’m too skinny and “have no ass, so I should go to the gym to get one.” My last ex stopped being intimate with me because I wasn’t as thick or “gym thick” as he preferred. I don’t even know if I’m handling this in a healthy way right now. My primary goal for going to the gym is to get bigger thighs and butt because I’m just so sick of hearing how “flat” I am. I wish people who think I’m so unappealing would just leave me alone.

14. With anxiety and starvation.

15. I’ve been shamed for being skinny several times. If I can, I tell them that it’s body shaming (“How would you react if I asked you if you eat too much to have such fat legs? You know, commenting others’ weight is rude”).

    I just know that those who do that, usually do that out of envy. No matter what you’re shamed for, don’t let it get to you. It tells more about their own insecurities than about you.

16. My sister had this issue in HS and she would always say, “At least I’m not stupid.” And it would always be shocked Pikachu with no rebuttal

17. That’s all my ex did. Every single time he got upset. I left him quickly after.

    I hit the gym 3x a week and I’ve been consistent for 2 weeks now.
    I enjoy going alone and in a gym where I don’t know anybody so I can reach full out without exterior distractions.

    Only way to handle it for me is to make them eat their fucking words. NO access to the new body.

    Edit: grammar

18. Outwardly, I would laugh it off.

    But it would really upset me and stay with me for a long time. I’ve spent a really really long time hating my body so anything that validates that awful narrative is pretty impactful for me.
    It would especially hurt now as I’ve started to feel a teeny tiny bit better about myself over the last year.

19. I wish a mf would try to shame THIS body.

    The way these curves be moving I’d just assume they got discombobulated.

    Too sexy.

20. I think I would call them out by saying “excuse me, please don’t body shame me”

21. Man, my meat suit has been THROUGH IT. After all it’s weathered- crippling disease and recovery, three pregnancies and births, two more pregnancies ending in miscarriage, getting super fit and strong, going soft and curvy again, near death experience- my body fucking kicks ass and nobody talks shit about it except ME! But seriously after going through all that I became so much more comfortable in my skin. This body has carried me through this life so far and weathered some pretty devastating storms, and she just keeps rising back up after every hard knock.

22. It’s very upsetting and takes me aback. I am a very upbeat, kind person with a sweet demeanor (I come by it naturally, from my parents). I am overweight, and it galls me that someone would body shame me. But it happens now and then. The worst is when friends do it without realizing it. I have a few friends in my friend group who often say, “You look like you’ve lost a few pounds.” I haven’t. They probably think they’re being nice, but seriously – WTF? I haven’t thought of a gentle-but-clever comeback yet (maybe I should post this question!), but my goodness. It makes me feel shitty about myself when a woman friend does this in a group setting.

23. Laugh and flip them the bird before walking away. Idgaf

24. I’ve been body shamed and in the moment I’m never clever enough to make them feel bad about what they’re saying, or have an insult ready for them as well. I usually just laugh it off and somehow change the subject or say something to make it less awkward and move on. Then I think about it for weeks and feel like shit about myself.

25. Depends on the context, but usually I’ll just ignore it, or laugh and say “I didn’t ask for your opinion on my body, thanks!”

26. Self love. My body has been through a lot, and I am grateful that it continues to carry me through this life.