There are myriad reasons people have trouble losing weight, from physical to mental. That said, the definition of “healthy’ can vary widely. Many larger individuals are healthier than some of the thinnest people. When it does stem from medical problems, who can really blame you? At that point it isn’t much of a choice. So, when a Texas woman visited her grandparents, she wasn’t expecting her medical history to be used against her.
“So, if you’ve never been overweight in your life, you can go ahead and scroll,” TikToker Eddi (TikTok/lovergirl) says at the start of their video. She then recounts an uncomfortable interaction she had with her grandparents. Eddi was actually on their way home, still in tears. “When my grandmother leaves the room, my grandfather looks at me and goes, ‘You have gained a massive amount of weight since the last time I saw you,’” Eddi says.
When they started tearing up, Eddi states their grandfather said, in a mocking tone, “Did that hurt your feelings?” Still stunned from the comment, Eddi doesn’t know what to say. They explain that they’re aware of the weight gain, attributing it to an ovarian cyst. As a result, they feel their grandfather’s comment not only focused unfairly on their appearance but also overlooked their medical circumstances.
The response to Eddi’s TikTok video was of both support and shared experiences. And when it came to the topic of the elderly, there was no mercy. One of the top comments offered advice: “It’s okay to correct them even though they’re old,” while another suggested “no contact.” Assuming a discussion was already had on how that made Eddi feel, it’s totally valid.
Another commenter argued Eddi’s grandfather came from a generation that “didn’t get their feelings hurt by everything.” That’s also the same generation that insists on suppressing feelings instead of being open and honest.
One naysayer argued having an ovarian cyst “has absolutely nothing” to do with Eddi’s weight gain. Except if you do a cursory search of the effects of PCOS, you’ll find the Cleveland Clinic states very clearly that obesity and “trouble maintaining a weight that’s healthy” affects “40% to 80%” of people with PCOS. Many in the comments were quick to point out their misinformation.
A woman in the comments shared an experience she had with her grandmother. After losing 90 lbs, her grandma told her “Well good you needed to,” rather than congratulating her. It’s just a backhanded compliment. As one TikTok user put it in the comments: “It’s just mean.”
As Eddi put in the caption of their TikTok video, and what spurred them to make it, is that “There is nothing okay about commenting on someone’s weight.” That’s the point and to do it in such a rude way doesn’t help anyone. Clearly, if that was the intended effect, then it didn’t work.
