"No visit home for the holidays is complete without at least a few annoying or insensitive comments from your extended family. Often, your family means well when they inquire - yet again! - about your relationship status, your body, your baby plans or what is (or isn't) on your plate or in your glass. Or perhaps they're oblivious to how inappropriate these remarks can be. But that doesn't change the fact that it's exhausting to deal with these same comments year after year."
"You haven't seen your Aunt Kathy in two years and the first thing out of her mouth as she greets you is about how you've gained weight since the last time you were together. Really?! Talking about weight changes - which are normal throughout the course of our lives, by the way - is uninteresting and pulls focus away from the meaningful things that are happening with us. And while strides have been made when it comes to cultural acceptance of larger bodies,"
Holiday family gatherings commonly include intrusive remarks about weight, relationship status, parenting plans, eating habits, and drinking. Comments about weight overlook normal body changes, reflect societal fat-phobia, and can trigger people with a history of disordered eating. Setting firm boundaries and asserting self-acceptance protects emotional well-being. Short, neutral replies — for example, a cheerful “Yup,” a redirect, or “I'm happy and healthy, thanks” — can defuse situations. Explicitly stating discomfort with invasive remarks or changing the subject removes focus from appearance and emphasizes personal dignity and health. Practicing responses ahead of time reduces emotional exhaustion over repeated interactions.
Read at HuffPost
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