People are sharing the worst body shaming they received as little kids

After Weight Watchers got a very stern talking-to from social media for announcing free memberships for teens, more and more people have been coming forward with their own stories about childhood diets and body shaming.

After slamming Weight Watchers for the program, Stephanie Yeboah, aka @nerdabouttown, asked her followers to share stories of their own childhood experiences with diet culture.

According to a lot of people in my mentions, there's nothing wrong with enforcing diet culture/restricted eating on kids.

If this happened to you as a child/teen, care to share your story?

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) February 23, 2018

Some were told to take diet pills as teenagers.

I was told at 16 that I should take diet pills because then I'd lose weight and magically have friends. Sick.

— Jacqueline Joan (@jaqjoan) February 23, 2018

Some were fat shamed by their own families.

My dad always used to tell me I was overweight & though he supports me now without mentioning it, it still sticks in my memory. I was always on a diet and that really makes me struggle with the guilt aspect of food.

— Garth Algar ???? (@pobbadist) February 23, 2018

Some were taken to Weight Watchers.

My mum wanted to take me to WW when I was 15 and I wasn't near as fat as I am now. It didn't help. I hear about diet everytime I am at home and it doesn't help

We need to talk about how parents share their own trauma with their children.

— Kiyémis. (@ThisisKiyemis) February 23, 2018

Two words: Fat camp.

I was sent to fat camp when I was 10.

— Alyson ???? Bsc RN ???? (@AlysonSaidWhat) February 23, 2018

Others were given diet books.

I was given diet books/plans to read, and was also taken along to weight watchers (I was NOT overweight) It's partly the reason I am so anti diet culture now, and why I chose to become a female- only PT to counteract the BS. I'm a mum now and NO food will ever be restricted.

— Hannah Lewin (@_hannah_lewin) February 23, 2018

Some people's trauma stayed with them.

My aunt and my mom always used to call me fat from the get go...like 5 years old I think. Now I’m basically starving myself and have an unhealthy relationship woth food but according to them it’s good. Maybe I will finally “find a husband” lmaooooo

— Sebastian Ortiz (@Casius_) February 23, 2018

One fat-shaming comment spurned many.

Lol I legitimately remember the day someone commented on me gaining weight. It was grade 3 in gym class and ever since then everyone in my family called me fat and when I look back on my pics as a kid I was NOT fat at all!! I just wasn't stick skinny like my cousins

— Cat K (@ellocatty) February 23, 2018

Parents' habits trickle down to kids.

My mum was forever on a diet when I was growing up (often The Cambridge Diet) so that made me think I should be, too. I remember getting up early to exercise before school, restricting my calorie intake (and hating it), and secret eating on occasion. Went to WW once but didn’t

— CurvyWordy (@CurvyWordy) February 23, 2018

Some kids were taught restrictive eating.

My parents and I took part in a WL study at a university when I was like 10 or 11. The diet used a “traffic light” system — green for good, yellow for moderation, and red for NEVER EAT THIS. Took me years to stop thinking of food in those terms.

— Liza (@lizakateisgreat) February 23, 2018

Doctors didn't always have the best intentions.

I was told by a doctor to eat 1200 calories a day and workout 2 hours a day. My mom said nothing because she was taught to trust doctors. I did it because one I was tired of being fat shamed by doctors and everyone else. I was a size 16 went down to a size 12. I still

— D r 3 A (@DoseOfDreaa) February 23, 2018

Dozens of people shared their stories.

One of my aunts said that my mom must have given me pigs milk as a baby when I was 9 because I was "fat" and my mom started putting me on diets 3 years later and I remember that diet so vividly and can't eat anything from it like vanilla ice cream or beets or tuna. I loathe them

— Cat K (@ellocatty) February 23, 2018

And many of them reinforced what we already knew: a childhood of body shaming can scar you well into your adulthood.

My parents would order less food for me if they did a takeout run/replace my order, they also tried to introduce exercising to us...one time my dad bought a push mower instead of a gas mower so we had to push the damn thing around the yard

— ab (@lovunderground) February 23, 2018

And it's not just teens, either. It's children. It's babies.

i was always a bigger kid. i was 9 lbs when i was born so from jump street my eating was policed. can you imagine? a new born on a restricted diet

— Okoye's Wig. (@BBMolasses) February 23, 2018

In short: There is so much work to be done.

The school nurse told my parents I needed to lose weight at 12 so I was put on her eating plan and she would police my lunches every day. After a while they started me on WW which gave me such a bad attitude to food. I would binge in secret eating way more than I would have if

— Sometimesredhead (@sometimeredhead) February 23, 2018

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