'AITA for telling my coworker that vitamins aren’t a replacement for food?' 'I don't need a lecture.'
"AITA for telling my coworker that vitamins aren’t a replacement for food?"
I work in an office with a small team, and we tend to chat about our lives during breaks. One of my coworkers, "Anna," has been really vocal lately about how she’s “too busy to eat” and relies on vitamins and supplements instead of proper meals. She’ll openly say things like, “Why bother with lunch when I can just take a multivitamin and drink coffee?”
At first, I didn’t think much of it because everyone’s eating habits are their own business. But lately, I’ve noticed that Anna looks absolutely drained. She’s been complaining about feeling tired, having constant headaches, and even struggling to focus during meetings. It was starting to worry me.
During one break, Anna mentioned skipping breakfast and lunch again because “vitamins cover everything anyway.” I casually said something like, “You know, vitamins can’t really replace actual food, right? They’re meant to supplement your diet, not replace it entirely.” I tried to keep my tone light and conversational, not judgmental, because I genuinely care about her well-being.
Anna got really defensive and snapped, “I don’t need a lecture, I’m fine.” I immediately apologized and said I wasn’t trying to shame her or tell her how to live her life, just that I was worried because she didn’t seem like herself lately. She rolled her eyes and walked off.
Later, another coworker pulled me aside and said they were worried about Anna too but didn’t want to say anything because she’s sensitive about her habits. This made me feel a bit better, but I still wonder if I overstepped.
To add context: Anna and I aren’t super close, but we’re friendly. I honestly wasn’t trying to criticize her—I’ve struggled with unhealthy habits myself in the past, and I know how easy it is to fall into a pattern when life gets busy. I thought I was helping by gently pointing it out, but now I feel like I might have embarrassed her.
I mentioned the situation to a friend, and they said I was being “judgy” and acting like I know better than Anna about her health. But another friend said I did the right thing because it’s important to speak up when you see someone potentially harming themselves, even if they don’t want to hear it.
So, AITA? Should I have just stayed quiet and minded my own business, or was it okay to say something out of concern? Edit: Was told I should clarify that Anna is the youngest in our office. She’s 18, and the next youngest is 26.
Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:
dryadduinath said:
NTA. Unsolicited comments on people’s food- no, never do that. Correcting them when they say bananapants untrue stuff in the office- yes, do. If Anna is sensitive about her habits, maybe she should stop bringing them up. Vitamins do not cover everything. If people hear her saying this and no one ever says anything to refute it, they may actually believe her.
kittycatlady22 said:
NTA. Usually it’s best not to comment on someone’s diet, but she keeps bringing it up and it sounds like you are coming from a place of care.
urgasmic said:
NTA yeah it's not strictly your business but someone needs to help her cause she's literally starving herself. your diet is more than just vitamins. She needs fiber, proteins, carbs, fats, etc...this isn't telling someone that they shouldn't eat a burger cause it's unhealthy it's trying to literally save their life. It's probably not the best way to help but she brings it up openly so commenting on that is natural imo.
CrimsonKnight_004 said:
NTA - Anna frequently talks about her habits herself, it’s natural that people will comment on them when they get unhealthy. It’s negatively affecting her health, and her job performance, neither of which are good for her. This is not sustainable and could lead to serious harm for her body.
I wonder if there’s a person in HR you and other coworkers could talk to about this? Or someone that could reach out in a professional manner to check in with her, review her job performance and ask how she’s doing privately with the intent to help her? I say other coworkers because HR is always more willing to listen to a united front.
PeachBanana8 said:
NTA. She keeps mentioning how she only has vitamins and coffee for lunch, so it’s fair game to reply to her when she brings it up. If you were observing her and bringing it up out of the blue, that would be rude. But replying to her when she’s telling everyone about her “lunch” is completely fair.
gravitationalarray said:
NTA, she's the one announcing what she is subsisting on. You didn't say anything out of the ordinary. However, she has rudely made it clear she doesn't care what others think, so next time just say "mmmhmmm," and change the subject. It's hers to figure out.
ZweitenMal said:
NTA. But you have to let this go. She’s only hurting herself—you can’t control other people. She has all the same access to information that you do. It’s her choice to ignore it.