Why Do People Call My Child Thin?

Why do people call my child thin? Don’t they know that a healthy child is what matters? 

“Kitni dubli hain” (“‘she is so skinny”) the Aunty said as soon as she saw my daughter. We had met a couple of minutes ago and after introductions, I pointed out my child to her in the playground when she said this. At that remark, something happened inside me. I think my blood pressure shot up a wee bit and my tear glands threatened to empty out. I wondered why she could not see that my child was happily playing in the playground with her friends. I wasn’t expecting her to compliment her on her attributes at all but hearing this was unexpected. Okay, my daughter is slender, so what? But since this was an Aunty who was closer to my mother’s age, I let the moment pass. However, that comment lingered at the back of my mind. It does so even now a few years down the line. In fact it makes my blood boil.

This is not a isolated comment. We have faced many such lines over the years.

“Has your daughter always been like this?” asked by a so-called friend.

“You are so thin,” directed straight at her in the playground by other children.

“She is so weak” Cannot remember who said this.

‘Your daughter needs to put on weight,’ said a new friend.

“You really need to show your daughter to a doctor,” said by our estate agent.

To the comment made by a ‘friend’ I just squirmed uncomfortably, almost apologetically. Yes, I am a bad mother, who has not produced a perfect child.

To the remarks made by the Aunties, I began to doubt myself. I felt I need to spend more time in the kitchen and less time surfing the internet.

I questioned my ability to cook. Perhaps, I should add ‘ghee’to all my child’s food as they  freely advised but I shudder at the health implications. Maybe I should stop giving her fancy stuff like avocados as the health magazines suggest. I should have just stuck to traditional methods of weight gain instead of letting all this ‘western’ knowledge influence me. Oh and was I giving her enough sugar-laden foods? No? My protests about sugar wrecking the teeth were brushed aside as another ‘western’ piece of knowledge. No wonder my child was “thin!” “Look at So-and-So’s child. So healthy!”

Well, actually it so happens that So-and-So’s child is a little more than obese, but it is so offensive to say to someone “Your child is overweight.” You just say “your child is s healthy! Touch wood!”

Of course it is quite alright to declare “Your child is thin!”

To the persons who say “she is so weak” and start lecturing me about Chyawanprash, fortified milk powders and other vitamin supplements that are a ‘must’ in a child’s diet, I seriously start questioning my parenting skills.  I try to add enough vegetables, fruit in the family diet, but perhaps I am wrong and off the mark. I try to include protein and carbohydrates in our food, but maybe it’s not adequate. Perhaps I should go out and buy those supplements as they say. Possibly I need a crash course in nutrition and health.

In the beginning, one takes such comments, remarks, ‘helpful advice’ in one’s stride. What can one do?

Alright, my child is slim. She is slender. She may appear underweight. To many people, ‘thin’ equals ‘weak’.

I can understand people are concerned. I can appreciate how persons who don’t even know the name of my child would want to impart valuable advice on nutrition and weight gain for her. I realise that some people love chubby, rolly poly kids and want my child to be one; hence the helpful, unsolicited advice. But, what I am trying to fathom is how people can so blatantly make a statement on my child’s physical appearance, sometimes right in front of her.

I can understand people are concerned. I can appreciate how persons who don’t even know the name of my child would want to impart valuable advice on nutrition and weight gain for her. But, what I am trying to fathom is how people can so blatantly make a statement on my child’s physical appearance, sometimes right in front of her.

What I cannot understand is why these people who know nothing about my child’s medical history can ask this question?

What I cannot comprehend is why people cannot find anything else to comment on ? I can understand that some people might find it hard to compliment on other people’s children. That is fine. But why a comment of this nature? Why something as personal as a comment on a person’s appearance?

Too many times I have been tempted to say something back. Yes, “Hell hath no fury like a mother provoked!”

To the friend who said my child needs to gain weight, I wanted to say, “Well, darling, YOU need to lose weight.” Instead, I had to make do with a dirty look that threatened that I would disown her if she said that again.

To the guy who said my child needs to see a doctor, I actually lost my self-control and blurted out “Are you a paediatrician? Then how do you know she needs medical help?”

To the Aunties who insist I should force-feed my child so she gets nice and ‘healthy’, I can only sigh in resignation. Although I must say I have tried that too.

To the unkind playground kids who think nothing of calling their playmate ‘thin’ or whatever, I have no words. I am speechless. I give up.

I know I cannot stop the world from making unkind, unsavoury, unsolicited, unwarranted remarks. Yes, occasionally, if quick and witty enough, I can give back a reply that puts them on the defensive. For example, an adult says to me “your child is so thin,” I say, ‘Yes, she is. And there are lots of other aspects to her personality too.” I would really love to tell them how good she is at sports. (Well, some clever people have even replied saying “Oh she is so thin, that makes her flexible and that is why she can run fast and gymnastics is a piece of cake.” Right! That’s a new theory!) But then why should I have to explain why my slim child can be healthy too? Why should I waste my breath telling them that being slim and slender may be genetic too? Why should I spend my time explaining my child’s medical history to someone who doesn’t care to know? Would they understand that there are children who are fussy about food and my cooking skills (or lack thereof) has nothing to do with it?

The one person who can really tell me whether my child is underweight or not is a doctor; after careful weighing, comparing weight to height, age and other factors. Again, a doctor whose advice one has sought out professionally, not someone you meet socially who is freely dishing out unsolicited medical advice. Also, someone who genuinely cares about my child has the right to dole out advice about how her/his health can be improved. They may not be medically qualified but they have your best interests at heart and it is up to you whether you want to take the advice or not.

Every child is different and special in their own way. Children come in different shapes, sizes and with different abilities. To point out a physical or mental characteristic in a child or anyone else is certainly not a way of extending your help and ‘sympathy’ for that person.

Every child is different and special in their own way. Children come in different shapes, sizes and with different abilities. To point out a physical or mental characteristic in a child or anyone else is certainly not a way of extending your help and ‘sympathy’ for that person.

Until the world learns this, I can only educate my own child to be proud of how she is and accept herself for the way she looks. I can teach her to ignore people who make such comments but somewhere along the line, to use witty rejoinders to give back in good measure. But never am I going to teach her to use the same sort of line on another person that teases and bullies, mocks and ridicules or hurts and provokes.

As for myself, it is hard to restrain, to ignore, to forget, to forgive and it is an ongoing journey, but there are times when I just want to scream, “Stop calling my child thin!”

Header image courtesy Shutterstock.