Dear Prudence,
I live in a gossipy town and am currently going through a contentious divorce from my husband. It’s been tough, especially because it seems like a fair number of people knew he was cheating, while I had no clue. In the months since separation, I’ve often felt too sad to eat, and I’ve gone off the birth control I’d always hated. This combination has led to precipitous weight loss, not a healthy or wanted one.
I see it as a sign of grief and I’m trying to stabilize, but people will not stop bringing it up in a way that’s meant to be positive. My sister calls it my “revenge body” while my mom congratulated me on “finally losing the baby weight.” A neighbor cornered me to ask for “my skinny secret,” and coworkers, friends, and acquaintances all had something to say. Even my doctor thinks it’s “a bright spot for me” (I was already at a healthy weight before!). How do I shut this topic down? I feel like I’m already using so much energy avoiding questions about my soon-to-be-ex, and this just adds another hard thing to the plate.
— The Skinny Secret? Situational Depression