skinny women are evil t-shirtTo me, one of the most annoying, distressing activities ever is overhearing women talking to one another about either food or clothes. More often than not, either in retail store fitting rooms or restaurants, I'm hard-pressed to avoid hearing a woman lamenting how "fat" she is, how she should just stop eating altogether, or how she wishes she could stuff her face with Krispie Kremes and Cold Stone and never gain a pound. Well, ladies, here's proof that last wish isn't as awesome as it sounds. 

A woman named Carole French can do just that -- eat whatever she wants (and she does!), but she can't gain weight. She is one of only TWO people on the whole planet (well, who we know of) who has been diagnosed with muscular fibrositis disproportion, a disorder that prevents her body from storing fat. Sounds like many women's dream come true, but it's nothing short of a nightmare for French.

Although people tell her she's "lucky to be so thin," she's treated like a freak show. She says, "People can be really cruel. I know I look different, but I don't choose to look the way I do."

My heart goes out to French, and we should be paying attention to her story.

She's living proof you can't judge someone on their appearance, whether they're super-slim, overweight, or seemingly "perfect." Although, yes, I'm certainly guilty of it. We all are. I know I've looked at a woman and immediately jumped to the conclusion that she's got some kind of eating disorder. And I've rolled my eyes upon hearing a woman whine that she just can't put on weight no matter what she does. It's pretty difficult not to think -- at least for a split second -- "You b*tch, most women only WISH they could have your problem!"

But then I remind myself she might be hyperthyroid (aka having a crazy-fast metabolism, but lots of other nasty symptoms to boot), or suffering from some other disease, much like Carole French. A stranger I saw yesterday who looked painfully thin turned out to have some kind of serious digestive issue or Lyme disease. Eesh!

There are MANY instances when a woman's weight is simply out of her hands. And the bottom line is that it's usually no one's place to judge her or tell her how to manage her own health. (Chicago woman who approached LeAnn Rimes and told her to "eat something" last weekend, I'm looking at you!) It's not just crappy but crazy for us to assume we know what a stranger's personal health challenges are, thinking less or more of them as a result.

What do you think about this woman's struggle?

 

Image via irina slutsky/Flickr