Why “You’ve Lost Weight!” is the Worst Compliment, Ever
<p>We are a nation obsessed with weight.</p>
<p>From <em>The Biggest Loser</em> to <em>My 600 Pound Life</em>, we can’t get enough of watching other people shrink their bodies. This voyeurism says more about us than it does the people on the screen.</p>
<p>First, let me say that I’m a Registered Dietitian, or what’s commonly known as a nutritionist. If I’m honest, one of the reasons I majored in nutrition over two decades ago was that I wanted to know everything I possibly could about how to stay “healthy.” Translation: thin, with a side of superiority.</p>
<p>And then I had children. I gained the recommended amount of weight with both pregnancies, between 25 and 35 pounds. Both times, I lost my pregnancy weight within a few months.</p>
<p>And I kept getting compliments for “getting back in shape,” as if the size of my body was evidence of my value as a person.</p>
<p>They said, “You look great! You’ve lost all your baby weight!” but I heard, “I’m so glad you’re not going to stay fat! You looked awful, and now you’re acceptable again.”</p>
<p>I imagine people meant well, but it made me angry. I wanted to say, “<em>Really?</em> I just grew a human being inside my body. Now, I’m feeding this person with my body 24 hours a day, and all you can think about is my dress size?”</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to my congratulators, I was living a nightmare after the birth of my first child, trapped with an abusive spouse who threatened my existence — and that of our child — on a daily basis, when he deigned to think of me at all.</p>
<p>This great concern over the number on the scale felt absurdly trivial. I wanted someone to notice the bags under my eyes or the bruises on my inner arm. I desperately needed help. Instead, I got compliments on my shrinking waistline.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/middle-pause/why-youve-lost-weight-is-the-worst-compliment-ever-367d1cac41e7"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>