“Are you really going to eat that?”
“I wish I looked like you.”
This isn’t intended to be a rebuke, and I’m definitely not an expert, but when people make comments like this, there are a few assumptions at play that perhaps need questioning.
1. Assuming healthiness.
The food you eat and the amount of exercise you do are not necessarily reflected in the way you look. Be wary of believing people are healthy just because they look like your idea of perfect – it can make you both feel guilty.
2. Assuming happiness.
Personal comments, even complimentary ones, can make people feel uncomfortable and self-conscious, because now everyone is staring and they can only think about the things they don’t like about themselves. Anyone can have image issues, and while compliments are nice things, not everyone is in a state to receive them.
3. Assuming one-sidedness.
Comments about weight, particularly in our Western society, are often very one-sided. Note points 1 and 2, and be careful about making comments that you wouldn’t want reversed.
This is a challenge to my own assumptions too – but it certainly isn’t meant to stop conversations about exercise, food or body image. Open and honest dialogue is a necessary and helpful thing, but it must be done in love in order to bring about real change.
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