Dear Prudence,
I can’t get my co-workers, friends, and roommates to stop commenting on my body and eating habits. I have ADHD and take a stimulant medication, which I need to function at work. It suppresses my appetite during the day, so I usually have just a snack around lunchtime and eat a larger dinner and more snacks in the evening. My co-workers have noticed I don’t really eat lunch and have said multiple times that I need to eat, that I’m not eating enough, etc. I know these comments come from a place of genuine concern, but I’ve told them that my medication is an appetite suppressant and I eat more in the evenings, yet they won’t stop. Also because I have ADHD, my executive functioning skills aren’t great, and it’s often difficult for me to organize myself in the evenings; I tend to eat raw fruits and vegetables or cold pasta or rice dishes, so my roommates don’t see me cooking very often. I’ve explained multiple times that I eat enough, that I eat healthy foods, that they don’t need to worry about my eating habits, but again these comments don’t stop. I have a thin build, like my other relatives, and people often say I just need to eat more. All of this makes me feel self-conscious and embarrassed. I just want it to stop.
—Eating Later