Why do people comment about bodies and food around the dinner table?
You may be surprised to hear that people bring up body and food talk for reasons that usually have nothing to do with you and everything to do with culture, habits, and their own insecurities.
🍽️ Many people grew up in a family where talking about weight, diet, or appearance was considered normal conversation.
🍽️ Diet culture is deeply ingrained. Society has treated body size as a moral issue and food as “good” or “bad.”
🍽️ Holidays heighten food anxiety. When someone feels guilty or worried about eating, they often comment on what someone else is eating to cope or deflect.
🍽️ Unsolicited comments about health or weight are often framed as “concern.”
🍽️ For some, commenting on others’ plates or bodies is a way to feel superior or justify their own choices.
➡️ Negative comments about bodies or food are usually a reflection of the person saying them—not the person hearing them.
Understanding that can make their words feel less personal so you respond with confidence and boundaries.
