Colleague bringing scales to office - weighing others.

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I work in an office with around 20 other people. A colleague has started bringing in scales so that he and others can weigh themselves in front of others.

Everyone stands in a circle around the scales and watches while they take it in turns to weigh themselves.

So far I have managed to avoid being asked to weigh myself in front of the others, perhaps because I am overweight.

Management don't seem bothered and are even joining in with the weighing.

Not really sure why posting, just wanted to hear what others think.

You seem alarmingly triggered by the word triggered for someone who is so over it

Your praise or berate comment though - if you're not involved how do you know that's the case? Just sounds like you're being judgemental because you disagree with it.

They weigh each other in the middle of the office in an area close to my desk.

I'm not making this up.

Just a thing to do? Isn't there like, work to do or something? How very odd!

Bizarre and unprofessional. Sounds like they don't have enough work to do.

Don't partake if you don't want to, don't feel any way about it.

Did this before in an office, everyone who wanted to lose weight put in £10 and the person that lost the most BMI got the dosh. This was an office where cakes were brought in daily and most Fridays was a fry up as we had a kitchenettte.

Many men prefer curvy women. Skinnies lose their looks more quickly.

Two awful comments.

And completely irrelevant to this thread.

I imagine the praise/berate is actually fairly good natured banter you're just not part of.

They're obviously tracking their weight jointly around health/diet. Because you've chosen - as you wish - not join in you're probably nit privy to it all.

There's nothing wrong with what they're doing if they aren't hassling you.

You seem overly offended by it.

The guy whose idea this was simply thought it would be good to know how much everyone weighs and to react accordingly. There is no SW/WW club involved.

But they've done it more than once so surely their reactions are then based on weight fluctuation?

Obviously I'm weird- I think it's bloody awful

WTF? No way would I join in.

Nobody's asking you (or OP) to.

A cheap and easy way of mutual motivation and accountability , which is basically what you get with a slimming club, minus the selling of products.

Not appropriate in some settings but unless it is getting in the way of doing the actual work or in an annoying manner to non participants then could well be a good idea.

What a weird thing to do. What’s going on with this colleague? Does he think he’s doing everyone a favour as they probably can’t afford scales? Lol. Ignore. If anyone dares to try get you to join in say you think it’s weird and speak to manager.

Why would this be a good idea? Why would it be good for him to know how much everyone weighs? Bizarre. Intrusive. Inappropriate.

As a “skinny” I find this remark offensive. Are you a “fatty”? Many if not all would find it offensive to be called that, same for “skinnies” take your ignorance elsewhere

Crikey has weight obsession come to this?

I have an ED and this wouldn’t bother me at all. I just wouldn’t join in because I know that behaviour isn’t helpful for me.

I love how someone said to notify HR🤣

What they gonna do? Enforce the no
Weighing at work policy?

It sounds a bit old skool at your place of work

That’s so odd. I can’t imagine this happening anywhere I’ve worked.

I have a history of ED and my bmi is 18. I eat fine now and just try to avoid the topic of weight. However, I just know if the office were doing this I wouldn’t be able to stop myself- I’d want to compare. Heaven forbid some people in the office were lighter than me (their height wouldn’t matter), I know I’d stop eating until I was the lightest. Yes, it’s not rational or healthy- but eating disorders aren’t.

@mustgetoffmn because it's much easier to lose weight if you've got the support of people doing it with you, who'll cheer you on and encourage you when you falter?

@ConfusedNT thank you for responding to @SunshineGeorgie
My daughter has been hospitalised twice with an eating disorder and although quite well now she still struggles to stay that way.
If this happened in an office I worked in I'd do my f'ing nut. Weigh yourselves all you like but not in the office

Yes I agree with this.

Er, of course HR would enforce a no weigh-in policy… Because it’s unprofessional, exclusionary, damages staff morale, solidifies and increases discrimination, is harmful to mental health, possibly physical health, could create a toxic environment rife with bullying. If you want to join a slimming club with your colleagues, do it out of the office in your own time.