5 Questions About Your Body That Are Nobody’s Business

In the New Year, many of us go after this health and wellness thing in earnest. But since it’s a new — or at least not continuous — pursuit for so many of us, it can be hard to know how to integrate our new regimes into our well-mannered lives. Enter Mind Your Manners, our just-in-January series on all things health and etiquette.

There are certain questions and comments that, however innocuous, almost always come off as offensive. The age-old example: Asking someone if they are pregnant. First of all, it’s none of your business. Second, you might be giving someone a complex rather than a compliment.

Steven Petrow, manners columnist for The Washington Post and USA Today, puts this question firmly in the “do not pass go, do not collect $200,” category. “If she’s never told you she’s pregnant, how could you possible know for sure?,” he says. “You can’t and that’s why it’s always wise to wait until she confides in you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had well-meaning people write me for advice after they asked a friend if she was pregnant only to be told: “No, I’m not!”

“I always like to say: “Did you get a new hair stylist? You look terrific.” That’s innocuous enough for anyone to take the compliment and enough of an open door for that person to disclose her weight loss, plastic surgery, or new found lease on life.”

When it comes to other people’s bodies, though, remember this:

Gif via Gurl.com

The Huffington Post