These things are very triggering for me and it’s happening today.
I’m so thankful this actually takes place in another building and far away from me. The flyers have been posted all over our building for this “wellness program” for a couple of weeks. They boast of helping you with fitness and weight loss.
The ones I’ve been to in the past do not really care about fitness or overall health but of losing weight. When I walk in, I feel like (and I know this isn’t always true) they see a fat person walking toward them who is desperate to lose weight because then all her problems will be solved. It’s almost like a personal goal for some of them to lasso me to their table so they can “save” me.
Our HR person called me earlier this morning and said, “where is everyone? You need to encourage them to come over here to the wellness program.” I said, “I can’t make them go if they don’t want to. I’ve had the flyers posted and they’re aware of it.” This didn’t satisfy her so she went to my boss and told him the same thing to which he replied the same as I did. “You can’t force someone to come over there and participate if they don’t want to.
The flyers are coming down this afternoon and this is one more wellness program I’m avoiding. Skipping this event is how I choose to take care of myself and love myself today!
~sas
Angry Gray Rainbows 
I find myself heartened at the lack of response this ‘wellness’ program got, and at your boss’ response to the lack of response.
The ironic thing is that I would absolutely be in support of a wellness program that concerned itself with helping people make healthy choices in movement and nutrition… if only it didn’t turn into a mini version of The Biggest Loser. Sure, encourage people to move, show them exercises they can do at their desks to build muscle tone and help lower blood pressure. Absolutely teach stress-reducing techniques and ways of helping deal with toxic work relationships (after all, mental and emotional health is important, too).
Just don’t tell me that skipping meals and freaking myself out about a future of ‘inevitable’ heart disease, depression, and diabetes just because I’m not a size four is somehow better for me than quietly living my life in the body nature designed for me.
At least it sounds like you’re not the only person who found this sort of program less than healthy for them.
Word. We aren’t doing anyone any favors by conflating “wellness” with “weight loss”.
I’m particularly pissy today, since my dr tried to push me into Weight Watchers. All the good stuff I’m doing for my body don’t mean shit if I ain’t losin the el bees, you know?
Agreed Twistie!
Good for you!
Honestly? I would get fired if a company I worked for launched such a campaign. I would plaster over the “health program” fliers with facts about diets and fat and health and everything overlapping and in between. Ugh! It makes me so angry and sad at the same time. Work is the last place I need to hear about diets and programs and BS!
notblueatall~
Loved the suggesting about overlapping FA stuff. hahaha
I sometimes (most all of the time) feel disheartened when I spend sanity points thinking about how I am perceived by others who think my fat is indicative of a flawed character or weak morals. When I was working, I had to put up this mental force field to not think about what others thought about my weight. Now when I think about job hunting, I am overcome with discouragement because I know that at my size, it most likely wont matter how good an interviewer I am because of stigma.
I can most of the time hold my own with folks like the HR person calling and asking us to send people over. I know enough to not try to explain FA to someone at work and do exactly what you did to take care of yourself… I remove myself from the situation.
Thank you for being part of my community of support and understanding about HAES/ IE/ FA. I think I would go crazy if I was alone.
You and others on the sphere are my Wellness Program!
Nope Ivan, you’re not alone. Glad I could post something that made you feel less so.
Blah. Such false advertising to call a “weight-loss program” a “wellness program.”
Sorry it’s so triggering for you, but good for you and your boss for not hounding people to go.
I hope you get to be the one to take the posters down! 🙂
Yep KellyK~
I pranced around like I was queen of the world pulling down the flyers!
Delurking to say that at my work, I went to one of these “Wellness” programs and I was pleasantly surprised (I’m a grad student at a major public university). They took our height and weight, waist measurement, and did a quick blood draw (finger prick) for cholesterol and blood sugar. I went mainly because I have no problem with the doctor, and I wanted to see what it would be like.
At this one, you could opt out of anything. Sure, they’d have less information to go on, but I saw plenty of people opting out of the weigh-in. I am firmly in the obese category of the BMI, but I’m very hourglass shaped so my waist is actually at the top end of their “normal” range (37″). I’m just saying that because I don’t know if it affected my consultation. Anyway, when the consultation started, the first thing the (thin) counselor said was, “I have a policy that I do not talk about weight or weight loss unless the patient wants to. The point of this program is to recommend other university health system programs that may interest you, and if weight loss is your goal, I can recommend those. Otherwise we will just talk about your blood test results and other health concerns.”
Well let’s just say it’s been 2 years, and I still remember what she said by heart. It was a very FA-friendly way to give a consultation, and it ended up being good that I went because my good cholesterol was too low. So I just wanted to say that maybe in the future, when FA is more widespread, we can all look forward to Wellness programs like these, because some of them are already here.
Jalice~
I’m tickled that you had such a positive experience with your “wellness” program. There is hope out there that some health professionals are finally getting the whole picture.
thanks for sharing
Glad you had a good experience! As sassyblonde says, there might still be hope that people are able to “get it”.
Of course, the moment someone takes my waist measurement I already know that this will not end well. I have a whole rant reserved for waist measurements especially.
From a wellness program, I’d want something to be done about my right arm which is wrecked from two accidents, and too much work at the computer. Massages and hot stones would be a good start…