Great, good for you! Me personally? I squat zero lbs. I don’t care about being physically strong or about how attractive or not I find myself; I care about being treated as attractive by the people around me.

Hm. I don’t think that 110lbs is healthier than 125lbs for me or for 5'6" in general. If anything, it might be less healthy, but I think it’s pretty much the same.

Agreed, it’s so sad. I’ve gotten sexual and romantic attention whatever weight I’ve been, but, yeah, I’d say that there’s more of it now and it’s sometimes different in attitude.

Yes, thank you! That little bit really does make a difference, right? I think it’s because basically all the women in TV, ads and movies are within such a narrow weight range.

Oh, those people (and anyone who treats someone differently according to their size) absolutely have issues with body perception, agreed. Sure, I wouldn’t go any lower than this for health reasons (among others). Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Thanks, that’s helpful. I’m sorry you’re not happy with your weight at the moment. For what it’s worth, I really don’t think you’d be repulsive to anyone at your size. That’s thinner than most women in the US, after all. I hope you get to a place where you feel good about your weight soon.

Thanks. I don’t do any of those things you mentioned to maintain weight. I’ve actually read The Beauty Myth already, haha – I completely get that it’s awful that women are treated differently based on our weight but, at the same time, since we are...

Thanks, that’s such an important point about the possibly of health issues making regulation harder.

Some elements of the change in treatment are a bit of a judgement call, true, but multiple people separately telling me that they’d noticed I’d lost weight and that I look better couldn’t possibly in my head.

Interesting, thanks. I’m glad you’re healthier (and warmer!) now. I’m not on any diet and don’t fit any of the criteria for disordered eating. I also don’t think I have body dysmorphia because I’m aware I’m thin and that I was thin even when I was heavier than this. It’s not that I personally think I look better…

Interesting! Would it be doxx-y to ask where you live? When I’ve been to some other parts of the country, random older women, like a stranger sitting next to me on an airplane, have commented that I’m very thin, but here I get the impression that I’m just seen as on the thin side of normal.

[Content warning: weight talk, numbers.]