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.

Bit weird but as long as they’re not pressuring anyone or questioning why someone doesn’t want to join in I’d leave them to it, I wouldn’t get involved.

I disagree with those saying there's no harm in it are wrong. It creates a culture where weight loss is valued and, conversely, being overweight (and not trying to lose) is at worse judged and at best potentially excluding. Many people have a history or current diagnosis of eating disorder and it could trigger a relapse. If people want this it should be outside of work time and private.

It is up to people who join it, I presume no one is forced?

My work had something similar but people weighed themselves on weigh in day and recorded it on a sheet. The scales were not obvious and nobody was asked to weigh themselves as it was totally voluntary. People were involved who were in other teams. You just went and weighed yourself when it was convenient. Most did it in the morning and tbh though I only noticed the odd person weighing themselves yet there most have been a least a dozen of them in this group.

On the face of it, I don’t see the issue. A group of employees encouraging eachother.

I imagine you haven’t been invited because you don’t need to be. Or is it an exclusive invitation only club?

I expect they would think if you wanted to do it, you would express interest. I absolutely wouldn’t get involved in this at all. But I have been involved in groups where we all go for a walk together at lunch etc.

I am not sure the ‘it’s triggering for those who have eating disorders’ is a good argument. That could go for a colleague saying ‘no thanks, I don’t want a biscuit I am watching what I eat’.

We do this every year, it's opt in though no one is put on the spot. We all put £5 in and have monthly prizes.

One person runs it but stats are percentage based so the women don't have to broadcast their weight to everyone!

I think it's really odd and inappropriate for a workplace.

Agree x1000 with @Jeannieofthelamp . Absolutely hell no in any workplace where I had a say. History of (thankfully reasonably minor) eating disorders here, and from a family of people with completely disordered eating. I would be totally horrified if this happened at work. I deliberately don’t weigh myself, ever, anymore and if this was happening in front of me the anxiety would be massive.

IDK. Depending on the organiser and others involved I would be concerned for a few reasons.
Is it in any way competitive?
Are they trying to get more people involved and if so how does that manifest? Invitations, coaxing/cajoling? Is it aimed at certain individuals in any way?
I would have major, major problems weighing myself in public (hell, I have enough trouble doing it in private) and would say something to my manager if I felt that any of the above issues were involved.
Also as others have said these weigh-ins could cause disruption in the workplace while they were happening as well as inappropriate 'banter' and offence or hurt.

We have a weighing scale at work, it’s no big deal.

Someone who has suffered from an eating disorder may have to expect and put up with people refusing food, and may have good coping strategies in place for dealing with that mentally, eating is not optional after all

They absolutely shouldn't be put in a position where they have to have coping strategies for people weighing themselves in front of them in an office, weighing yourself is optional and totally unnecessary in the workplace

Agreed. So surprised that others think it's fine.

In my workplace they did something somewhat similar a few years ago - but it was part of a wider health initiative. For the weighing part, the scales were in a private room, and people managed their own measurements (they also measured waist circumference etc) but they weren't disclosed. The idea of doing all of that in public (ie with others standing around watching) for no particular reason is very weird.

We did this in my last place. My colleague had a heart scare and so we all got involved with silly weigh ins, reducing caffeine and encouraging him to come on walks with us at lunch. (MD started buying us fruit to snack on too and herbal teas etc!)

He lost over 1 stone and reduced his BP! And reversed his pre diabetes

As long as your colleagues are happy and they don't force you to join in then it's harmless x

That's fine @ConfusedNT

Posts are allowed to be 'telling'

I presume those taking part are quite happy that the weighing is done all together. Otherwise they could easily stop.
I don't get the being offended on their behalf when they seem to be taking part for support.

But then we were (still am) a close friendship group. Ages 22 - 50!

I'd hate this. If I wanted to go to Slimming World i'd join up. I'd prob order a huge pasty and chocolate chip cookies and eat it in front of them.

Wow I cannot imagine this happening at my work! But then, our company is majority male. Still find it odd though!

I also have a history of anorexia and this is exactly what I would have to do to avoid the inevitable going home tonight myself. It's really hard.

Group weigh ins in the actual work space are very different, IMO, to offering / refusing a casually offered biscuit.

It’s more like keeping a public chart of how many biscuits each team member eats when offered.

I know next to nothing about eating disorders, but can absolutely see how this could be triggering / create unease in the office etc. And it’s not a normal
part of the working day (unless they are all jockeys or boxers) . Casually eating a biscuit with coffee is.

This was done in a department I worked in and the instigator told me to jump on the scales as everyone else was doing it. I refused and then the low level bullying started. HR got involved in the end.

Never said they weren't. I said your post told me something about you, you were the one who had an issue with that not me.

I hope you read the thoughtful, considered posts from people with ED on here and reconsider your 'triggering ffs' comment

That is massively out of order - so many people suffer with eating disorders that would find this upsetting, as well as it being completely unprofessional.

They should go do it in a meeting room.

@Jagley I think the competitive nature of EDs (especially anorexia) is often overlooked. Part of that is competition with yourself obviously but also with others (whether they know it or not!)