This summer, I found myself in a bit of a professional exile to work my summer internship in Wilmington, Delaware. While being so far away from my home in the Midwest, I embarked on a campaign I called “Hot Bryden Summer.” Hot Bryden Summer was about prioritizing my health in every way possible — mind, body and soul. This included being more health-conscious: eating clean but not becoming overly obsessive with my food choices, working out and changing my outlook on life. I found myself surrounded by people who made it possible. Intern friends, long-distance friends and even my manager at work all supported me in overcoming my past struggles.

I’ve always had deep issues with food consumption, battling what can only be described as a binge eating disorder throughout high school and dealing with the aftermath during my freshman year of college, unassisted. Over the past two years, I have slowly lost weight, though from June to today, I have lost a more noticeable amount with more targeted attempts at achieving health.

I could dive into the differences in treatment I have received in the first two weeks of this quarter alone and write an op-ed about beauty standards or biases people hold against fat people, but that is not the goal of this piece. While I am severely disappointed in the way that someone’s weight affects their interactions with others in 2024, I am even more disappointed by the outwardly harmful comments that I have received as a result of my weight loss. I do appreciate the sentiment behind these comments, and I completely understand that people make them with good intentions, but they do not have a place in the conversation. The following are comments I have received in the past week:

“Wow, the transformation is insane.”
“You lost a lot of weight!”
“You’ve lost SO much weight. Your jawline is so pronounced!”
“You’re giving Ozempic.”

I have no idea how to respond to any of these comments. Is it a thank you? Do I beg them for further validation? Do I tell them my whole life story of how big of a struggle it has been to get here? How do I deal with their backhandedness?

With eating disorders, side effects of medications and chronic illness so commonplace in society, commenting on how someone’s body has changed — negatively or positively — is simply unacceptable. Beyond these causes, weight fluctuations are extremely common among people. I am lucky that my weight loss was intentional, not the product of one of the factors listed above, nor the product of a weight loss-inducing drug like Ozempic. No, it wasn’t easy, but neither was the alternative.

I am aware I look different than I did when I left for the summer. That was the goal, and my journey is far from over. Still, I will remain steadfast in combating the body-focused, backhanded compliments I have received since the start of classes. As we walk around campus today and going forward, I hope people are more mindful of how their comments about someone’s body affect not only them but also the culture on campus. We are so beyond judging someone for their weight or “transformation.” The truth is, we likely don’t know the full scope of that person’s journey, and we definitely don’t have the right to comment on it.

Instead of commenting on how someone’s body has changed, consider commenting on
other qualities. “You’re glowing,” “You look amazing!” and “You’re radiating confidence,” all go a long way, free for interpretation and void of awkwardness.

For those struggling with body image issues, please know that it gets better, and I am always here for you. You are more than what your mind (and society) tells you.

P.S. Everyone can have a Hot (insert your name) (insert any season OR life).

Bryden Behrens is a Weinberg senior. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.