‘Thin privilege’: Writer explains meaning in Twitter thread

'The ability to move through life without people insisting you need to be a smaller size… if you don’t have to think about that, it’s privilege'

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Privilege comes in many shapes and forms and can be influenced by factors such as race, financial status and gender.

"Thin privilege” is a term that's been widely discussed as of late that refers to people who may receive advantages in various contexts based on their body size.

Those who benefit from "thin privilege" may not even realise that they are, writer and founder of The Lingerie Addict Cora Harrington claims in a Twitter thread.

Harrington explains how even if you struggle with body insecurities, there’s a strong possibility that you won’t experience the fat-shaming that others do on a daily basis if you are a specific size.

“Hey, you don’t have to ‘feel thin’ to have thin privilege,” Harrington writes.

“Thinness isn’t a feeling. If other people perceive you as thin, you are thin.

“If you are able to walk into any clothing store and expect to see a wide range of options in your size, you are thin.”

She continues, sharing examples of scenarios in which other people may be judged due to their size, such as when eating food in public or sitting on public transport.

“No one groans or rolls their eyes when they have to sit next to me on a plane or a bus,” she writes.

“In fact, no one comments on my body at all. The ability to move through life without people insisting you need to be a smaller size… if you don’t have to think about that, it’s privilege.”

In June, an artist from Oregon wrote a Twitter thread all about the derision that he experiences due to “being fat”, explaining how he has to face strangers constantly looking at him in a judgemental way.

Harrington makes it clear that while having thin privilege doesn’t mean that you may not face other forms of discrimination in life, it is important to recognise how society may place you on a higher pedestal than others for looking a certain way.

“It doesn’t mean your life is easy or that no one ever made fun of your appearance or that you can find everything you want in your local Target,” she writes.

“It means societal discrimination and prejudice does not target you for being thin. It means your weight/body type are seen as ‘normal.'”

Several people responded to Harrington’s thread, expressing how even though they may have issues when buying ill-fitting jeans or bras in a nude skin tone, they are still aware of their thin privilege.

“I have difficulty finding pants sometimes because of my hip to waist ratio but I know I can go into a store and buy clothes in my general size,” one person writes.

“I will never go without. Privilege, simple as that.”

Another Twitter user chimed in, saying: “Have to remind myself of this all the time!

“I am bigger but I’m still privileged.”

Not everyone agrees with Harrington's point of view, with some responding to the thread expressing their opposition to the concept of "thin privilege".

"What if we stopped trying to put down other (normal) people to force therm to recognise their privileged size and accept that we all have different obstacles to go through and it's really the fault of designers and manufacturers for not including more options?" one person wrote.

Another commented, saying: Everyone has their insecurities abt themselves and saying that being 'thin' means that you're not entitled to have problems regarding weight is the dumbest s**t I've ever heard?? [sic]

"Don't disregard people's feelings just because they have clothing options."

Last week, Netflix show Insatiable sparked outrage when the trailer was released, due to the apparent “fat-shaming” plot of the programme.