People need to shut up

Blogger: Leslie Goldman
Blog: The Weighting Game at iVillage Diet & Fitness

My girlfriend, R., was out with her little girl enjoying a nice lunch when a grandpa-aged man approached the two of them and announced, completely unsolicited and pointing at R's daughter, "She needs to go on a DIET!"

Her daughter is five months old.

What the *%@!?

And more recently, a woman approached the pair and exclaimed, "She is such a LARGE BABY! Is she in the 99th percentile or something?"

I really don't understand what goes on in peoples' minds. Why is it considered acceptable by so many to comment on total strangers' weights? I myself have been subjected to this, starting from when I was younger and constantly greeted with comments from my parents' friends of, "Oh, she's so big!" (they likely were referring to my height, but still...blah!) and even in grad school, I remember being at a black-tie benefit and a doctor I worked with grabbed my waist and told me I needed to eat more. Lasagna was hanging out of my mouth at the time so I couldn't retort with a witty comeback but I could see the look in my husband's eyes - we both wanted to take a swing. (more after the jump)

Babies are not fat. I do not need to be told what to eat. When interviewing ladies for my book, I remember one woman, who was (in her words) obese but in the process of trying to lose, telling me about how, at the end of an aerobics class, a fellow gym-goer approached her and said, in a syrupy-sweet voice, "I just want you to know that seeing you here motivates me - you should be really proud of yourself." Gag.

I am really riled up over this baby incident - especially because, what happens if R's little angel grows up over the next year and still has her chubby cheeks and some idiots decide to make a comment or three and now she's old enough to take it in? R and I are trying to figure out a really good comeback...I suggested something that will make the offender feel dumb, but give them a chance to reflect on what they've said and possibly redeem themselves. Something like, "I'm sorry - I think I misheard you. It sounded like you said my baby needs to go on a diet and I know that can't possibly be right. Can you repeat yourself?"

Any other suggestions? We need to nip this in the bud.