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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Colleague bringing scales to office - weighing others.

389 replies

SFG112112 · 23/03/2023 11:17

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.

OP posts:
ShagratandGorbag4ever · 23/03/2023 11:49

It's unprofessional behaviour in a shared office. If your colleagues want to have a public weigh-in, they should find an empty room and do it there.

feellikeanalien · 23/03/2023 11:50

Well offices have certainly changed since I last worked in one. How bizarre.

Seaweed42 · 23/03/2023 11:50

I think that's bizarre behaviour in a workplace. I'm stunned to be honest!
How could anyone think that's OK in this day and age...
I can't believe grown adults are standing there taking turns to go on the scales.

GoodChat · 23/03/2023 11:51

We have office scales at my work. I don't see the harm. They're not forcing anyone to join in.

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 23/03/2023 11:51

I think weighing oneself counts as personal grooming and, like other personal grooming activities, should be done in private or in an appropriate space such as a cloakroom.

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 23/03/2023 11:52

Wow, never heard of this kind of behaviour in a workplace? Sounds like the kind of thing you'd maaaaybe imagine happening at Vogue's HQ in NYC. Very strange!

Cocochai · 23/03/2023 11:52

I used to work in an office where they did this but the weighing was done in a spare manager’s office and there was no song and dance made about it - word of mouth told you it existed and there was no pressuring anybody about it. Each week ‘Members’ paid nothing if they lost weight or £1 if they gained and the money was regularly donated to the company’s annual charity that they supported.

Ideally, this shouldn’t happen in the work environment but if it does then it should be done discreetly and no one pressured or even invited to join.

whattodo1975 · 23/03/2023 11:52

This happened at a place i worked at but it was a woman in her 50's who brought the scales in. As 70% of the staff were women and "on a diet" they all went off to a separate room and weighed themselves (basically had their own weight watchers meeting) all fine really and only those who wanted to go involved.

With the exception though of one the youngish lads in the office, was mid 20's and he was trying to loose weight (openly talked about it). He wasn't allowed to join in for the pure and simple reason he was a man and the rest didn't want a man seeing how much each of them weighed. (this was early 2000's).

BreviloquentBastard · 23/03/2023 11:54

This is super weird, I'm surprised by everyone who seems to think this is fine or normal, in what universe? It's work, not weight watchers, how is it appropriate to do this?

I'd not be having this from anyone in my workplace, totally bizarre.

Hellybelly84 · 23/03/2023 11:55

Ive never seen this in an office but are they on health kick together? Perhaps the office is the only time to do this together? There is an obesity crisis so anything people are doing to improve health wouldn’t bother me. As long as they are not pressuring anyone to be involved or making any comments, its up to them if they want to do this.

If they did make any comments trying to force people to join in, then it certainly is a management issue then.

ConfusedNT · 23/03/2023 11:57

The thing about weight watchers for example is that you have to be overweight according to your BMI to join and you have to stay within a healthy BMI to maintain

Now BMI is a bit questionable due to how it was developed and how it impacts people of various builds etc but at least there are some controls in place

If someone with an ED decides to join in and they are already a healthy BMI and they keep losing whilst everyone cheers them on, who is there making sure that it's actually okay? Who is going to intervene when its clear its not okay? Who is going to take ownership of letting an unhealthy situation develop? Or are they just going to stand there and celebrate someone get thinner and thinner before they realise somethings not right?

Harriyet · 23/03/2023 11:59

So they are doing their own version of slimming world and if they want to take part they do. You don't want to take part so you don't.

VeganMeghanDancewizMe · 23/03/2023 11:59

But why?
Your colleagues need to learn about boundaries. Is it a call centre?

JusDroppedInToSeeWhatConditionMyConditionWasIn · 23/03/2023 11:59

This happened in my old workplace. Massive open plan office, and they decided to have a diet club and would weigh themselves weekly. At least they went onto the fire escape to actually do the weighing bit though.

harkerlee · 23/03/2023 11:59

I agree it could be a good thing for those doing it, but to me, the fact that it could be massively triggering for anyone with a previous/ current eating disorder, outweighs any benefits for those on a health kick (who can easily do it elsewhere).

They could just all join slimming world together, or even do it in a separate room rather than in the middle of the office in front of everyone. I can't see any reason it has to be done that way.

spelunky · 23/03/2023 12:02

Ive never seen this in an office but are they on health kick together? Perhaps the office is the only time to do this together?

In what world is a large open plan office the only time/ place to do something together?

They could meet up after work, join a weight loss group together, even just have their own WhatsApp group, or failing all of that, if they simply must do it at work - just go into a side room that isn't in the middle of a big open plan office.

What they are doing is really weird.

ferneytorro · 23/03/2023 12:04

But the op has said they are just doing it for something to do so not dieting. Which is really odd, even if you are fascinated by other peoples bodies you’d only do it once?

SlightlyJaded · 23/03/2023 12:04

I can't believe some people are saying 'oh we did this' - to me, it's utterly bizarre. What do you mean 'just something to do'? I don't get it? When did Group Weigh-in become a 'thing to do'?

Baffling.
And yes, potentially very upsetting for anyone who isn't happy with their weight. I would HATE this.

Architectahoy · 23/03/2023 12:05

In what world is a large open plan office the only time/ place to do something together?

Well when you work 50 - 60 hour weeks and you work with your close friends. As long as it isn't a forced activity...

We all sit at our seats all day and walk barely 2000 steps. There's an obesity crisis.

I like the idea 😆

Harriyet · 23/03/2023 12:05

Is this done in plain view of the rest of the office? Or in a room/behind a screen etc?

Sugarfree23 · 23/03/2023 12:06

Cheaper than either Slimming World or Weight Watchers, so why not?

Those groups are all about supporting encouraging each other to drop some pounds. And let's be honest most office workers are over weight unless they put in some effort.

SofaSpuds · 23/03/2023 12:07

Why are they doing it@SFG112112? You haven't said.
Is it a weight loss support group? I agree in the middle of the office floor is a weird place (well it would be in my office), but off to the side or in a meeting room would be fine. Are they purposely excluding you because of your weight? Or is that in your head? If you want to join in, ask if you can. If you don't, then don't.

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 23/03/2023 12:08

SFG112112 · 23/03/2023 11:22

Just a thing to do.

Show quote history

so they're not even trying to lose weight.

is the guy who initiated it a Regina George type character? just seems to strange that they'd all participate for no real reason other than to please a King or Queen Bee.

Kranke · 23/03/2023 12:09

Or maybe they’re trying to gain weight?

VeganMeghanDancewizMe · 23/03/2023 12:09

I worked in a call centre when I was young and there was constant diet talk and body negativity. It was 99% women and it was so triggering as I have ED. You go to work to earn and hopefully achieve something productive not to get scrutinised about your weight. There is enough pressure to be slim everywhere as is. They were obsessed with food and body loathing talked constantly about what they are or aren't eating, competitive weight loss and food porn. One of the reasons why I hate open plan and call centres.

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