Weighty Issue.
When coming back from lunch today, I was eating a Fiber One bar. A coworker of mine who inquired about my thinness prior to the meeting, asked me if what I was eating was my lunch. I told her that it wasn’t my lunch, but asked what I ate. It was McDonalds. Later, she told me that what I was eating (the McDonalds, the Fiber One bar, and the Starbucks frappucino) had a lot of calories in it, but wondered how if I eat that, how do I stay thin. My weight, my body issues for me is something so private that because of my triggered state of mind from the previous night, I wasn’t willing to elaborate, but I explained my situation. How I spent eight months in a treatment facility for Anorexia, and how something so innocent as a weight loss challenge, is something that I can’t participate in.
I was so triggered by the thought of someone pressuring me to loose weight in order to support working together as a team. There are other ways a team can work together better and more efficiently than a weight loss competition. The reward for the team who looses the highest percentage of weight loss wins an organic meal cooked by our CEO (she’s very into nutrition, eating organic and a Yogi). Although, the subject of weight loss and body image is one sensitive to many, including myself.
If the company wants to take a wellness initiative, I think it would be better received by it’s employees if complimentary Yoga classes were offered after work, recipes for healthy eating, and providing healthy snacks in our break rooms so were not provoked with the idea of eating something unhealthy. This also goes with eating lunch at a regular hour as well, and not going to break at 3p for an hour. This is not a one size fits all. Also, why bring an issue such as sensitive as this into the workplace?
The last thing I need is a relapse because of something so innocent.
Filed under: Eating Disorder Recovery | 3 Comments
“If the company wants to take a wellness initiative, I think it would be better received by it’s employees if complimentary Yoga classes were offered after work, recipes for healthy eating, and providing healthy snacks in our break rooms so were not provoked with the idea of eating something unhealthy. ”
I completely agree. The notion of team effort is innocent enough, but it would be better to focus on the positives of well-being rather than put others down for their choices. Weight is just one of many factors contributing to poor health.
@Jasmin,
Today (day of all days), it’s been announced that my coworker who I work very closely with is Anorexic. Not sure if she’s still struggling or not, but she thought she’d pass along that information along with her current weight. Delightful. Also, my director tells me that she heard I went to corporate about the weight loss challenge, but explained that my Mum contacted them out of concern and frustration.
Later, my boss tells me she was Anorexic/Bulimic and can understand why this puts me into an awkward situation. Even though cat’s out of the bag, I’m still constantly feeling like by one employee (who else knows, I don’t know) googled for my eating habits. Weight loss doesn’t belong into the work place, and thanks to them for doing so.
Hey, I was in treatment with you at one point, and I’m sorry to hear of your workplace triggers. It would be ideal if people were more sensitive to weight issues; it’s also imperative that we become less so. Best of luck. Otherwise, sorry for nit-picking, but you ‘lose’ rather than ‘loose’ weight. The spelling ‘loose’ refers only to an antonym for ‘tight’.