Recently I came across an article that perfectly explained the problematic issue of office diet talk. (Found here. Take a moment and read it. It’s perfect.) Written from the perspective of someone recovering from an eating disorder, the author calls out diet culture, fatphobia, and weight stigma that is alive and well in the office setting.
I made a few copies and put them into the office kitchen. People lost their shit.
One of the ‘disappointments’ that comes from quitting dieting is realizing/admitting how much time, energy, and money it consumed. Also, what are you going to talk about with your coworkers or friends? We commiserate and rejoice in diet talk. We bond over talking calories, workouts, pant sizes, and scale recommendations.
“No thanks, I’m trying to be good.”
“Oh, there’s a lot of sugar in that yogurt.”
“Wow, look at these pastries. Too bad I’m dieting.”
“Can we move the cupcakes so they won’t be so tempting?”
“Are these ‘healthy’ brownies or regular brownies?”
“You look so skinny. I need to do what you’re doing.”
“If you feel bloated, you should cut carbs.”
These are just a few examples of the diet talk and weight centered comments I’ve heard in passing at the office. Though I don’t believe there’s any ill intention, they can create a hostile environment for those recovering from eating disorders, and disordered eating. It can trigger binge/purging urges, reactivate counting/restricting, and reinforce food anxiety and complications with body image. It can make “normal eaters” self-conscious of their habits and choices and develop disordered eating behaviors.
Bottom line. Conversations around diets and weight are harmful and wasteful. Compliments about weight are never okay, even if you mean it as a compliment. Comments over someone’s food choice are unwarranted and unnecessary. We do not need to tolerate diet talk as just a societal norm.
Let’s change the culture, even if it’s in our little cubicle space.
