Dear Colette,
Every time I go to lunch with a co-worker she goes on and on about how she needs to lose weight and then she orders a juicy burger and fries or another high-caloric meal. I could care less what she eats or what she weighs but she is taking the fun out of going out to lunch. What can I say to make her stop?
Tired of Listening
Dear Tired of Listening,
Although you didn’t say whether or not this gal is even overweight, I believe her pre-meal dialogue is simply to relieve her own guilt. She knows she would be healthier if she made different choices, but for whatever reason doesn’t want to. Flapping her jaw about it makes her feel as if she’s doing something about it. I can appreciate that you want to enjoy your lunch without all the conversation about bodies, weight and food, so just say so. The next time she starts to talk about her weight simply say, “I would prefer that we spend what little time we have catching up and supporting each other rather than waste a minute of it putting ourselves down. Let’s choose not to talk about our bodies.” If you truly care about this lady and are sincere, I think it will be easy for her to swallow.
