Asking Eric: My friend has done a great job losing weight, but… I’m not sure what to say

view original post

Dear Eric: In the age of Ozempic weight loss, I have an etiquette question. When you see a friend who has lost so much weight, what is the proper thing to say? Saying, “Wow, you look great” makes it sound like they didn’t look good before. Yet, you can’t ignore the change. I’ve been trying to come up with something appropriate, but I’m at a loss.

– What to Say

Dear What to Say: In general, it’s best to not comment on other people’s physical appearance, so I’d say yes, you can ignore the change. People’s bodies change for all kinds of reasons – weight loss programs, medications, surgery, illness, exercise and more. There’s no shame in looking different or wanting to look different. But the invitation for public commentary is often erroneously assumed. Unless someone says, “I’m feeling great after taking Ozempic and I’m glad I did it,” or something like that, you don’t need to comment.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.