Shame: The Ultimate Diet Plan

I work for a country club which has a wait, bus and kitchen staff made up of about 80 Mexican men in their 30s, 40s and 50s. They have taught me some things. Like, sexual harassment isn’t a concept that they even remotely grasp. Many of them are superstitious. If you drink soda from the can, the rat poop (that’s on top of ALL soda cans) will eventually kill you, so you should pour it in a cup. Also, when you are starting to get sick, a freezing cold shower will wash it away. But most importantly, they have helped me to manage my weight.


You see, the office staff is in contrast, all female. And there is something in their culture, I believe, where they feel they have to shame you when you eat. For example, one day I was toasting a bagel in the kitchen (the same one where they do all the cooking for the restaurant) and this dishwasher, who I didn’t even know could speak English said “I hope you like exercise.” You have never spoken to me before and this is what you’re finally going to pipe up and say?

Similarly, one of my coworkers sometimes asks the guy who makes the sandwiches for bread to make toast in the morning. He will only allow her one piece and tells her two will make her fat.

One girl, slightly overweight is called “Big Girl” but in a way that sounds like it’s a term of endearment.

After having a baby 5 months ago, another coworker was able to lose every single pound of her baby weight. But that didn’t stop one of the kitchen guys from telling her she looked pregnant again.

And sometimes they just full on touch your fat. Poke at it or pinch you under your arm to show you that you could really firm up those triceps a little more.

I like to think of it as a built-in weight management system for the club’s female employees.