If you, like me, have never been above a size 12/14, then you've never experienced the sorts of struggles that plus-size women go through on a day-to-day basis.
As straight-size women, we should recognize that simply being straight-size comes with a certain set of privileges that not all women are privy to.
But since most people aren't aware of them, I'd like to call them out. Here are eight instances of thin privilege that straight-size people aren't aware of.
You can eat what you want without getting a "look"
Many plus-size women (and men) hear comments about the food they eat ALL. THE. TIME.
"Are you sure you want to eat that?"
"Wouldn't you rather have an apple?"
"You're getting seconds?"
Thin women don't hear those kinds of comments; at their worst, the comments we get are about eating more, and while that's none of people's business as well, they aren't intended to shame the way comments directed at plus-size women are.
You don't get lectures from your doctor
When you're thin, people assume you're healthy. When you're heavy, people assume you aren't, but you know what happens when you assume, amirite?
Those assumptions even come from doctors. Can you imagine going in to get treated for an ear infection and getting a recommendation for bariatric surgery instead? I certainly can't, but many plus-size people can.
Dating is generally easier if you're thin
Dating can be a nightmare no matter what size you are, but bigger women often have a harder time out there than most. As I've mentioned in a previous article, "a lot of men (and some women) have a 'type,' but that type is often straight-size."
Thin women tend to take advantage of the fact that there aren't dating apps geared specifically toward thin women, because thin is considered "the norm."
You aren't fetishized
Speaking of dating, plus-size people who are out in the field (especially plus-size women) have another hurdle to jump over: weeding out fat fetishists.
Heavier people don't have to worry that the people they date are only interested in them *because* they're big, and not because of the person they are inside. Straight-size people don't have to deal with that.
You can always find your clothing size
I can go into any store and find more than a couple of tops in my size, but if you're over a size 14 (even a 12, in some cases), then you may be restricted to plus-size clothing brands.
And if you're looking for athletic apparel, forget about it — not only is there a dire lack of plus-size workout gear, the stuff that's generally available is pretty unattractive-looking.
Your weight isn't used as a qualifier to describe you
Because I'm thin, my weight isn't the first thing people use to describe me. I've heard "the short girl," "the blonde girl," and "the Jewish girl," but none of things are offensive (at least, not to me).
When you're overweight, that's often the first thing people notice about you — and it becomes the way they think of you as a person.
People don't assume you're lazy, sloppy, etc.
Fat people get called a lot of mean names, and they're subject to a lot of negative stereotypes, mainly due to the way that they're portrayed in the media.
Movies and TV shows make fat people out to be lazy, sloppy, fumbling characters, and that kind of typecasting carries over into real life — even into the workplace.
You can find people who look like you represented in pop culture
On the subject of movies and TV, when was the last time you saw a movie or a TV show (or read a book) that featured a fat protagonist? Or even, that featured a fat protagonist whose whole life didn't revolve around their weight?
If you can't think of one after a minute or two, you're not alone.
