Stop measuring WORTH in WEIGHT

Why we shouldn’t ‘compliment’ people who lose weight and instead, shift praise from appearance to nature

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You look so great! Have you lost weight?” “Wow, you're looking so healthy now! Good for you.” “Fat people” have heard comments like this for most of their lives.

At the times when their bodies were smaller, these comments made them feel proud and accepted. They felt like they were finally “good enough”.

But when they regained the weight — as happens for most people — they felt like their bodies were no longer “good enough” and that these well-intentioned comments were in fact harmful.

Through their work as sizeand weight-inclusive researchers, Evangeline Gardiner (PhD Candidate in Public Health at The University of Queensland) and Lily O'Hara (Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Griffith University) have come to understand it wasn’t just about them or restricted to them — the extent of harm from comments such as these is far-reaching. Both positive and negative comments about weight can lead to negative outcomes. Whether they lose weight or not, larger-bodied people are judged and criticised.

Women’s weight in particular is policed and considered fair game for comment. Consider the commentary about the recent weight loss of celebrities such as Lizzo and Serena Williams. The effects can be even worse for those with multiple marginalised identities across race or ethnicity, gender, class and ability.