By Sarah Ryan

In my twenties, I developed a thyroid condition that led me to gain a lot of weight. Unfortunately, I also worked with a group of people notorious for commenting on any and all female bodies wandering past their line of vision. Hearing remarks like “Wow you’ve gotten bigger. You still look good though“, had my already low self-esteem spiralling. 

Once the pesky thyroid was treated and the weight dropped off, it was time for the backhanded compliments like “You look so much better than you did before.”, which also made me feel like rubbish.

If I mentioned to the culprit or the manager that it was not appropriate, I was told to “Stop being so sensitive.”. Eye roll.

Maybe I Am Just Sensitive. Surely It Isn’t That Bad?

Fortunately, body shaming in the workplace is becoming widely recognised as a form of workplace bullying and…