Colleagues commenting on how much food I eat

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It has been happening for a while. I probably do eat more than a lot of people, but I eat more on my office days because people bring in snacks and we have cafe etc so I take advantage of it. I am very healthy at home and mostly have healthy dinners so I let myself have a treat at work as we are only in two days a week and I look forward to it.

However, some of my colleagues have been making comments that are starting to hurt my feelings and I’m not sure if I just need to get thicker skin and pull myself together as it’s just lighthearted, or whether I should say something?

some of the comments are:
”I can’t believe how much you eat”
“if I ate as much as you I’d be 20 stone”
”are you going for MORE food?”
“do you carry on eating when you get home?”
”I bet even your husband doesn’t eat as much as you”
“the calories that you’ve eaten in your lunch are more than I have all day”

Amongst other things. Today people brought in baked cakes for easter and there were LOADS left over. I asked if I could take an extra piece home for my husband and they said yes of course. But then a few people started laughing when they saw me wrapping it up saying “oh I knew YOU would be the one to leave with a goody bag”

I know they are just joking and not saying these things maliciously, but I think it’s rude. Why do they have to comment on it? I feel humiliated and like shit about myself. I do eat more than the rest of the people on my team but I still don’t think I eat an obscene amount. I don’t feel like the comments are warranted.

Is it reasonable of me to say something? Or am I just being overly sensitive? I’ve tried to just not eat as much while I’m in the office but then I feel like why should I? If I’m hungry and I want to eat, I should be able to.

“I am going to start commenting on how much everyone comments on how much I eat, maybe then you’ll all realise how frequent and tiresome it is”

I guess they are surprised/jealous That it appears you eat much more than them, but are slimmer. THB as a life long dieter who needs about 1200 maintenance calories a day (still not slim) it does annoy me a bit when people seem like they can eat whatever they want. I wouldn’t say anything about it though.

Do you ever take in snacks etc? We have someone at work who will happily dig in to whatever is there but never thinks to bring anything in herself.

Are you over or under weight?

I think it's really weird to take cake home for your husband.

They need to be reminded they are in a professional workplace, either you tell them to stop with the comments or report to HR about bullying In the workplace, the first option they might ignore you the second option they might get uppity that you complained but atleast they will shut up in the future! There was a man who would constantly make comments on two of my colleagues food choices ( both slim look like models) made they feel utter shit) I complained on there behalf as they were young and didn’t want to cause a fuss, glad I did as its stopped but also this said man has now gone and got support for his own eating disorder that clearly he was projecting into them

I would say each time ‘this constant commenting on my eating is bullying and not professional at all. Stop it.”

Then report to hr.

Don't laugh at yourself,pick out some unfavorable characteristics of theirs and highlight or made up ones,ooo have you tried mitchum for your B.o.etc.

You really need to nip this in the bud. Tell your manager to send a generic email to the team that personal comments about people and their eating habits are not tolerated.

Jealousy probably, and rudeness. When I started an office job when I was about 19/20 there were a couple of women who used to comment on what I ate all the time. I was tiny! And could eat loads. I would never dream of doing the same now as I am comfortable as I am and also not rude.

Could they be cheesed off with you eating at your desk

I would just say green doesn't suit you.

Eat what you want to eat it's your body but also stay hydrated as hunger can sometimes be thirst and offices often have air systems which can be drying.

I found you can never win either way so don't bother. When very slim I got comments that I needed to eat more (ate loads just also trained alot), when at my biggest (size 14) got comments of should you be having that - ate less then previous When super slim but unable to train any longer.

If you aren’t overweight and not eating like an excessive amount which to me it sounds like you aren’t, just say ‘I know aren’t I lucky being able to eat and stay slim!’ People might just be jealous!

Don't suck it up. Don't eat less.

stand up for yourself. Tell them they are being rude, not funny and it isn't their business. I expect they will be sensitive souls. Can dish it out but not take it when they are told to behave.

No-one NORMAL gives a flying fuck about how much OTHER people eat. Normal people have better things to think about than watching food eating and judging food eating and counting each food item.

The ONLY people obsessed with what 'others' eat are those with food issues. Food issues are where you think about food and eating a disproportionate amount of the time. It is a mental health problem.

You watch other people eating. You judge every little thing that goes in your own mouth as well. Your whole identity revolves around eating. You think about food almost ALL the time. It swallows your waking life. You know the calories of everything - and the value of nothing because you live in your own world, and it isn't the same world as people who have a normal relationship with food.

People with food issues can be thin, fat or average. It is a mental health issue.

Personally I would stop eating the snacks in the office. I’m not saying you should just that I would. Then if anyone comments I would say “I’m sick of all the comments” and still refuse to eat anything.

Absolutely fine for people to think what they want but to constantly trot this stuff out is just dull and insulting. What do they want you to do? Put the food in the bin and refuse everything that's offered?
The comments are rude. I'd have to respond with annoying answers.

”I can’t believe how much you eat” You should/ You say that every time
“if I ate as much as you I’d be 20 stone” Oh, well, never mind / You say that every time
”are you going for MORE food?” Yes, want some?/ You say that every time
“do you carry on eating when you get home?” Yes / No. We don't have food at home/ You say that every time
”I bet even your husband doesn’t eat as much as you” Oh, you should see him/ No, he doesn't eat food, just lives off air / You say that every time
“the calories that you’ve eaten in your lunch are more than I have all day” Oh, okay / Don't you feel weak? You hardly have any calorie intake/ You say that every time

Then you'd be giving in to immature bullies.

I'd try
"Do you mean to be so
rude"

I get this at work too. To be fair I think I do eat more than the average person but I run 50 miles in a typical week (not in one go, obviously) and am fortunate to have genes that leave me reasonably slim.

I’ve had all the comments of how do you stay so small? Can’t believe how much you eat etc etc and I must eat quickly too because some colleagues started calling me Dyson.

in the end I called one out publicly when I’d heard enough one day. Told her it was tantamount to body shaming to comment so obsessively on my diet. Very few comments since.

Next time reply "oink, oink".

I do think this is a lot

You have breakfast in office of toast and fruit; your lunch sounds like the equivalent of a supermarket meal deal plus cake/creme egg/crisps.

In comparison I would just have the meal deal if I’m at the office. I tend to skip breakfast but even then it wouldn’t occur to me to have toast at work.

If I’m working from home, I’d eat a similar amount of food as a meal deal, just cooked from scratch

on an average day, I wouldn’t eat that many snacks/cake/chocolate. I’d tend to pick one thing.

I’ve always been slim but recently have put on some weight and tbh I think it was due to being in a similar environment at my last job with endless snacks. Which is why I know what good/bad habits are for me.

I can only imagine that you work in an industry staffed largely by dim/ bored people who are interested in discussing such things

Who cares whether you think its a lot????

I sit next to someone who eats all day at work and it is really distracting. Crisps come out, rustle rustle. Then she puts the crisps back in her draw. Then she eats say toast. 5 minutes later the same packet of crisps comes out. More rustling. Then she’s off to the canteen! Rinse and repeat.

I don’t and haven’t commented but that’s because she’s overweight. If she wasn’t it might be more tempting. It’s really annoying!

Taking the cake home is weird. Why doesn’t it get wrapped up for tomorrow?