Babies Can't Be Fat

I'm so annoyed with people trying to foist body image issues off on babies. My baby in particular, certainly, but just babies in general. Babies don't overeat. They don't have the messed up psyches yet that make them emotional eaters and if you've ever tried to get a baby to eat when they're done eating...well...you know what I'm saying.

So...there's my in-laws with their "Oh, it looks like he's starting to thin out, that's good." Which, whether they meant it that way or not, comes across to me as "We're concerned because since you're fat, we know you have no ability to control yourself and you're going to make our grandchildren fat. After all, even our son has gained 10 pounds since he met you and is verging on fat, and fat is more scary than being tortured to death." (I should point out here that those 10 pounds are up from his high school weight. I suspect it's ok at 35 to weigh 10 pounds more than you did in high school. He's nowhere even in the neighborhood of pudgy, let alone fat.) Or the slightly more subtle, "Once he starts walking, you'll have no excuse not to exercise cause he'll keep you running trying to keep up." Which not only implies that I sit on my butt all day but that I'm so out of shape I won't be able to keep up with my child. My in-laws are fat-phobes, plain and simple. And it doesn't matter how many times I explain the legitimate medical condition that I have, they're not buying it. I suppose I could show them my food diary and let them count the calories themselves. But knowing them, they'd just assume I was lying.

Then there's random strangers who see you in the checkout line at Target and comment first on how cute he is (ok, that's fine. He is cute. Everyone needs to agree on that.) and then add, "It looks like he eats well."

What does that mean? He eats well. Yes, he does. We can afford to feed our child. He gets lots of variety and nutrition. However, I don't think that's what they're implying. Yes, his cheeks are chubby. He's. A. Baby.

Grrr.

I just feel like carrying around the little slips from the doctor to point out that not only is he in the 50th percentile for both height and weight - he's not disproportionate! He's in the 50th for BOTH. Which means that he weighs exactly what he should for his height. Isn't that the epitomy of a healthy weight?

I say it again: grr.