Fat Woman and her Auntie

Fat Woman took a holiday and went to stay with her Auntie. Fat Woman is extremely fond of Auntie. Since Fat Woman's mother died Auntie is the closest female family member Fat Woman has.

Fat Woman took Auntie to the supermarket. Fat Woman picked up some Nairn's chocolate oatcakes because they aren't on sale in her home supermarket. Here is a picture: 
Fat Woman likes these oat cakes because she can eat them plain. At 45 calories each Fat Woman can eat one or two, enjoy them, feel full because of the oats and not be hungry any more.

Auntie glanced at the packet and said: "You shouldn't be eating those!"

Fat Woman was shocked. Since her mother's death Fat Woman has considered Auntie to be practically the next best thing. Fat Woman's mother was never, ever judgemental about what Fat Woman ate. For Auntie to criticise Fat Woman in such a judgemental tone surprised Fat Woman greatly.

It took Fat Woman a while to get her thoughts together in order to respond. Fat Woman realised that actually Auntie was completely ignorant about exactly what Fat Woman was holding. Fat Woman pointed out politely that at 45 calories each, when a digestive biscuit is 70 calories and one of the Leibniz which Auntie was saying earlier she liked was 140 calories, was actually pretty healthy.

Auntie said she wouldn't have thought Fat Woman would be eating "that sort of thing". This is where Fat Woman excelled herself.
Fat Woman didn't justify.
Fat Woman didn't argue.
Fat Woman didn't deny.
Fat Woman didn't explain.

Fat Woman simply said mildly: "I have lost 75 pounds. I am reasonably competent at knowing what I need to eat."

Auntie backed off.

Thinking about this later Fat Woman realised it had made her just how ignorant and prejudiced people are about weight loss. Fat Woman is very glad that after her initial surprise she was able to see this. Once upon a time Fat Woman would have felt every possible negative inference around that comment. Now Fat Woman is calm and disassociated. Fat Woman felt like Sarah in the last scene with the Goblin King in the movie Labyrinth when she says in amazement: "You have no power over me!"


Fat Woman finds it almost funny now that Auntie is so disconnected from Fat Woman's reality. Auntie serves  biscuits and cake in the afternoon, and holds dinner so late that everyone has eaten handfuls of nuts, crisps and olives to stave off hunger. If Auntie was that bothered about what Fat Woman shouldn't be eating then surely Auntie wouldn't serve it?