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.

Completely amazed!!
Why are they doing this.
Surely insensitive to those who have personal issues with weight/ body.
Can you suggest they do this in a private meeting room or even the broom cupboard where it belongs.

Bizarre. We have a workplace gym so people can weigh themselves there. Totally inappropriate in an open plan office.

I agree-ive worked in offices full of biscuits and cakes in the past where nobody moved all day. We all agree only to have them on special occasions in our office now. I’d rather see people trying to be healthy but with no pressure on anyone else to join in.

My initial reaction to this thread was one of instant stress and a feeling of humiliation.
It stems from being weighed in class as a 10/11 year old as part of a maths project and weighing more than most of my classmates, and being teased about it.
Never mind that I'm a 5ft11 size 12/14 40-odd year old now, I still feel bigger/heavier than most people and weighing scales in the office for me is a definite no.

I think that sounds like a really weird thing to do.

I wouldn't care about it if it was done in a staff area/break room, everyone knows when it's happening and and people are free to participate or not.

If it's done in the middle of the work space where others are trying to work then management should step in in my opinion.

It's weird toxic behaviour, but I'd probably just ignore it if nobody tried to involve me in such nonsense.

I find this very bizarre but then I only worked in an office very briefly 25 years ago so it’s fair to say that office culture is something ai know nothing about. I now work in gyms and leisure centres so yes there are obviously scales in my workplaces. I don’t ever weigh myself (because of previous obsessional behaviour around weight and calories) so for me, being weighed is something that would only happen in a Drs surgery.

We used to have this and it helped me lose a stone!

One woman just used to go and make a brew to take herself out the way.

This happened in my office - some people had formed a slimming club and had weekly weigh-ins. It's only an issue if people are being pressured to join in, which wasn't the case in my office - a notice was put up to contact the organiser if you wanted to take part. No one was approached.

I find that completely bizarre and inappropriate
I mean fine in the staffroom, quietly, as a support structure amongst friends
Not as a public performance with the implication that people should participate

I have worked in many different offices in different places over the last 25 years and must say I have never seen this and would find it really weird if my colleagues started doing it.

Do they weigh themselves before or after the birthday cakes?

I think it's inappropriate to do it in the middle of the office, they should start a lunchtime club and do it in their own time away from where people are working

Well no you certainly don’t, I think the point was that you already had!

How about if everyone stands in a circle and comments on other peoples body shape or perceived health, take turns yeah? “Janet is a bit plump, only saying in case she has heart disease”; “Jack is clearly too thin he needs to get help”. Is that ok? Because why the fuck else would you get scales and weigh everyone? It’s just covert bullying.

I think as someone who has had an ED I would find it really stressful if it was in a open "public" area of an office, regardless of whether I was obliged/pressured to join in.
My IL used to do annual weigh ins at Christmas at the dinner table. I found them really stressful as well.

This.

Behind closed doors, as a group doing some weight loss support, only involving people who want to participate = totally fine.

In front of the whole office, out of curiosity/peer pressure, making people feel like they have to participate = totally unacceptable

My IL used to do annual weigh ins at Christmas at the dinner table. I found them really stressful as well.

That’s utterly bonkers @Fizbosshoes 😮 Do your ILs have issues around weight and food?

This is extreme and unusual (I hope) and very nasty.

I've never worked anywhere like that.

I did work somewhere where you'd pay 25p a week, select some older famous people's names from a hat and if they die - you win the collated money. 😳

That wouldn't be ok no, but op doesn't say that's what's happening?

I remember doing something similar years ago in an office environment, it was a bit of a slimming world support group. There was no pressure to join in and it made losing weight a bit of fun.
As long as there is no pressure to join in, I don’t see the problem with it.
All the offices I’ve worked in have had people blathering on about weight loss - stupid diets, slimming world etc.to varying degrees. don’t see how that is any more or less triggering than people weighing themselves.

whaaaat?

everyone had to pop on the scales before Christmas dinner? Did your in laws know you had an ED?

Being part of a weigh in group can help spur people on. If you don't want to take part its fine but why would you be bothered about others doing it.

My team go to McDonalds for lunch on a Friday. I don't like McDonalds so I don't go. Simple.

Unless your weight is a key factor in your job then there is absolutely no need or obligation for you, or anyone, to be weighed at work.

For context, I work in horseracing (office based, not on a yard) and it's pretty normal for workriders/stable staff to weigh themselves at work (usually on the horse scales!) as job descriptions generally require you to be under a certain weight - usually about 10 stone.