There are many different shapes and sizes of people in this world, and also countless ways to describe them. Some words, having the same meaning, may produce varying reactions due to the way a person is raised or the society one grows up in. In the case of calling oneself slender or skinny, being slender would be the connotation that I favor.
Being slender is more culturally acceptable. This word is often related to people of beauty. They uphold the ideal body shape people feel most comfortable to see or even become. Such examples include models, actors, or dancers that are being watched admiringly everyday. Furthermore, young and impressionable minds grow up knowing that a Barbie doll has the flawless figure that we should all cherish.
However, the word skinny does not have to represent a picture perfect body. In many ways, this word can give a very negative perception to someone. When I receive this word, I often ask myself, how skinny am I being referred to? I could be thin with a hearty glow or an underweight anorexic with unattended health issues. The description of this word can represent various forms of a thin figure that it often depends on the listener to decide whether being called skinny is a comment or criticism.
So because of the way our community is structured, people can easily grasp onto an ideal model-type body shape when they are being called slender, unlike when the word skinny is used. Several different possibilities could arise so that one might mistake it for the wrong meaning and unnecessary grief. Thus I would rather be described as a slender person than a skinny one.
