Audio By Carbonatix
Skinny-shaming is defined as the act of mocking, criticising or belittling another person because of their perceived weight being below the acceptable weight in the community.
I’ve been skinny-shamed myself - and I've been looking into the phenomenon for the BBC World Service's What in the World podcast.
I was recently told in Uganda I wouldn’t qualify for bride price because of my size.
In some communities, thinness can be linked to sickness, like HIV and Aids, and fatness can be linked to happiness and wealth.
It affects men as well as women. Solomon Buchi, who’s 27 and from Nigeria, says being told he was "too skinny for a man" by a girl he was interested in, and other comments like this, have left him feeling like "less of a man".
These remarks can impact mental health. Ugandan psychologist Leona Buhenzire says both skinny-shaming and fat-shaming can cause body dysmorphic disorders, anorexia and bulimia.
"People who have been skinny-shamed can struggle with poor feeding habits, eating junk food and feeling anxiety over what they eat," she adds.
She highlights that in some rural parts of Uganda, where big is beautiful, young brides can be force-fed to make them put on weight.
Latest Stories
-
Ghana Airways restoration key to national pride and economic reset – Ablakwa Â
4 minutes -
US seizes second oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast
12 minutes -
Australian PM announces intelligence review as country mourns Bondi attack
22 minutes -
Imran Khan and wife given further jail terms after state gift fraud case
23 minutes -
5 perish in fatal collision on Cape Coast–Takoradi Highway
35 minutes -
Poultry imports driving egg glut – GAPFA
1 hour -
Legal lifeline for Ghanaians in America as lawyers association, Embassy move to tackle diaspora challenges
2 hours -
Photos: First Atlantic Bank PLC officially listed on Ghana Stock Exchange
2 hours -
Energy minister assures stable power as Ghana hits peak demand in December
3 hours -
Miguel Ribeiro Fiifi Brandful
3 hours -
Adom TV’s ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ electrifies National Theatre in a festive extravaganza
3 hours -
Mahama orders $78m payment to Justmoh to resume Agona–Nkwanta road works
4 hours -
Christmas rush deepens traffic woes in Accra Central
4 hours -
Three arrested after viral video shows toddler being fed alcohol
4 hours -
Survivors ‘nervous and sceptical’ about release of remaining Epstein files
5 hours
