As I was perusing the Already Pretty Friday links, I came across this article: http://www.ivillage.com/guilty.....4-a-511830

In particular, I was interested in this point:

"4. Avoiding the Word “Fat”
Dancing around the word fat is an insinuation that it's so horrible that it can’t even be said. The only thing worse than calling fat people “big boned” or “fluffy” is using euphemisms that suggest body size indicates the state of our health or whether we take care of ourselves. As part of a resolution to end body shaming, try nixing phrases like “she looks healthy,” or “she looks like she is taking care of herself,” and “she looks like she is starving” when what you actually mean is a woman is thin."

I have felt this way for years. Somehow the word "fat" has become so insulting that we use euphemisms, like "full-figured", "curvy", "rubenesque" or "zaftig". (Aside: the one that bugs me the most is curvy. Many, many women have curves -- even relatively un-curvy ones like me have curvy places -- and it just confuses everything).

The thing is, if judging women's bodies wasn't par for the course, then "fat" would mean simply the opposite of thin. Both terms are imprecise and relative, of course, but they still mean something. The bothersome thing to me is that it's perfectly acceptable to use the word "thin" on a woman. That using the word "fat" is considered so terribly insulting that we have to come up with a euphemism for it is in fact insulting to ALL women, of all shapes. If "fat" were not a dirty word, I don't think women would stress so much about being, or becoming, so.

And now I'll get off my soapbox.

I'm putting this in the regular forum because I think body types (fatness and thinness included) are an integral part of fashion and style. But if you think it better belongs in Off Topic, Angie, by all means move it over.