Dominicans and their need to mention weight gain/loss

Harleysrock

Harleysrock

Gold
Nov 4, 2012
7,267
90
48
Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
Dominicans sure like to mention stuff about your weight!!!
I'm used to people silently judging me!

I lost weight after the first few months of living here because I hated the food and many Dominicans said i looked good losing weight. I was too fat before etc. and the young ones wanted to get me buff at their local gym.

I started drinking beer and couldn't move in the insane summer heat so I gained weight and they mention that i have gained weight...Thanks for the tip i did not notice my clothes did not fit :)

I don't care so much as I think it is funny that these young men think i need to be as fit as them. (NO CHANCE IN HELL)

My anorexic wife does not think the comments are so great as she gets way more of them!
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
Harley you are right about that. Dominicans do not hesitate to tell anyone
if they gained or lost weight. They will say, tu estas gordita or te ves mas
llena(you look more full) But I have to say that it is not said with malice as
Dominicans are not offended by this.


To most foreigners the mention of someone's weight is a personal matter
and thus it's offensive.
 
Last edited:
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,152
6,321
113
South Coast
Harley, it's a totally different mentality. They think nothing of calling each other "gordo", "flaca", "feo", etc. I'm sure they would never understand why we are offended.

One of my nieces' FB status today says "Muchas feliciadades gordo hermoso!!!", followed by his name/link to his page. Yes, he looks a little chubby. She's a educated late 20-something professional.

As I said, a whole different mentality.
 
D

DOC1727

New member
Aug 30, 2011
285
0
0
The DR does not like fat people in general and will go out of there way to call you fat, they are obsess with this notion that everybody has to me skinny and puny like them and that we are obese and unhealthy however, they really do not mean harm when they call you gordito it's just that they will call you, as they see you, no matter how you look.
 
M

mainegal

New member
May 22, 2012
150
0
0
It's my understanding that if someone says you're fat, it's their way of saying "hey you must be doing great if you can be fat". It isn't meant as an insult at all.
DOC-they are not obsessed with the notion that everyone has to be skinny, quite the opposite.
 
A

Aguaita29

Silver
Jul 27, 2011
2,620
273
83
DOC1727 said:
The DR does not like fat people in general and will go out of there way to call you fat, they are obsess with this notion that everybody has to me skinny and puny like them and that we are obese and unhealthy however, they really do not mean harm when they call you gordito it's just that they will call you, as they see you, no matter how you look.
Click to expand...

Actually, a little junk in the trunk is considered more attractive that being skinny. Skinny Dominicans usually want to gain some weight!
 
J

JessicaRabbit

New member
Sep 21, 2009
487
20
0
I have yet to see a skinny/fit dominican guy that is 25 years or older... 99% of them have fat guts! I was so disappointed when i first came here... Not to mention the guts even on skinny girls plus enormous culo! And they think they are hot enough to wear leggings. Harley and your wife you need to not pay mind to that comments. Im also anorexic and my esposo has guts :( BUT he is skinnier than his 18 year old sanki-panki friends! Seems like that crew gained weight overnight! I dont miss a chance to call each one of them gordo :laugh: to pay back for when they teased my hubby when he gained weight on all the cakes i was baking for him :)
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
dominicans call things as they see them. hence gorda/flaca, morena/negra/rubia and a variety of other descriptive adjectives. they think nothing of it. they will also be the first to ask how did your child/partner die, why are you crippled and generally all the questions you are too embarrassed to ask yet curious to know. such thing as offending someone's feelings does not exist.

weight is much debated issue, despite the fact that now huge number of dominicans is obese, regular exercise is virtually unheard of and healthy diet is a term from SF novels. once started people will spend hours discussing weight loss/gain of themselves, each other and any friend or relative they can think of. it's like a verbal avalanche of canola oil and sopita. you will also note that food in general is one of the biggest subjects for dominicans, second only to crime and death.

don't be bothered by it. whenever i am spoken to about things that do not interest me i blatantly change the subject or walk away. i have better things to do with my life. like taking a nap after lunch.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

Gold
Nov 4, 2012
7,267
90
48
Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
Oh i know they don't mean harm, it is just one of many different cultural things that I have noticed.
I like it in a way :)

The real reason I bring it up I guess it does a lot of harm to my Wife. She has battled with Anorexia her whole life and is not fat AT ALL!!
She gets so upset when they mention these things. She has gained probably 5-7 pounds since she tore a ligament in her leg 4 months ago and we go to Santiago a lot to see one of the Dr's there and one of the attendants who pushes her in the wheel chair said she had gained weight.
Yesterday she put a timer on her phone so every 20 minutes she would eat a mini carrot!
I was horrified that she would restrict herself like this!!

I try and tell her they are just joking around because the guy with the wheel chair was but she takes it so seriously.

She is really perfect the way she is but try telling someone with the disease of Anorexia that!

She dealt with most of her issues around it long before we met but have seen a huge difference in her about it since we got here.

I wish i could look like the men here! I have never seen so many good looking fit men in my life! There is just no way in hell i would be able to work out in this heat and become ripped like them. I actually thought it was really cute that they wanted to help me with that.

I call myself gordo to all the Dominicans and they laugh.
 
D

DOC1727

New member
Aug 30, 2011
285
0
0
The bottom line is if you have a few extra pounds, you better get use to being called gordito or gordo most of the time, if not all the time. If you want them to stop just call them back morenito or feo, flaco, chiquitico and they will stop the name calling sometimes, so much for the no offense, LOL.
 
Last edited:
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
harley, you wife looks great and hot like hell. she is neither too fat or too skinny. perfect as she is.
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
Harleysrock said:
Oh i know they don't mean harm, it is just one of many different cultural things that I have noticed.
I like it in a way :)

The real reason I bring it up I guess it does a lot of harm to my Wife. She has battled with Anorexia her whole life and is not fat AT ALL!!
She gets so upset when they mention these things. She has gained probably 5-7 pounds since she tore a ligament in her leg 4 months ago and we go to Santiago a lot to see one of the Dr's there and one of the attendants who pushes her in the wheel chair said she had gained weight.
Yesterday she put a timer on her phone so every 20 minutes she would eat a mini carrot!
I was horrified that she would restrict herself like this!!

I try and tell her they are just joking around because the guy with the wheel chair was but she takes it so seriously.

She is really perfect the way she is but try telling someone with the disease of Anorexia that!

She dealt with most of her issues around it long before we met but have seen a huge difference in her about it since we got here.

I wish i could look like the men here! I have never seen so many good looking fit men in my life! There is just no way in hell i would be able to work out in this heat and become ripped like them. I actually thought it was really cute that they wanted to help me with that.

I call myself gordo to all the Dominicans and they laugh.
Click to expand...

Harley, if this bothers your wife a lot, let whomever is saying it; friends, neighbors that
she does not like it and they will stop.:)
 
P

PeterInBrat

Gold
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
On the plus side, you hardly ever have to remember a Dominicans name..

Knew a bartender who would often refer to fat sweaty tourists as "Babosos."
 
P

PaGuyinDr

New member
Sep 2, 2013
386
0
0
MY wife ( La Jefa - as she is known in my house ) is Dominican. It took some time to get used to her "brutal honesty". My mother in law lives with us now so I enjoy the Dominican Candor in stereo. But you are right, Harley when you say that there is no harm meant in it. And it is definitely a cultural differernce. But it was the exact opposite of how I was brought up. In my house you never ever ever ever told anyone the truth or how you felt if it might make them feel the slighted bit uneasy. ( push the pain down, push the pain down ).

Bottom line, LA Jefa will live much longer than I and enjoy a happy and healthy physical and mental state. Me on the other hand....... tick tick tick tick tick......
 
frank recktenwald

frank recktenwald

Platinum
Jun 18, 2007
14,280
503
113
www.rentalmetrocountry.com
I remember my last company I worked for in Holland and they had a cafeteria. The lady working there was already in her sixties and was born and raised on a farm. She asked whether I'd like one of the many sausages displayed and I responded that I was on a diet.
She said "don't worry about that, my Pete has a big belly and I love it. Besides that the best tools are always kept underneath a roof" ;)
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
PeterInBrat said:
On the plus side, you hardly ever have to remember a Dominicans name..
Click to expand...

and that's a good think because names here are often bordering on insane. i do not even register people's names at all, including family members. those words are completely made up. it's like the parents name the baby based of a handful of letters pulled from scrabble game. the only other option is, of course, the exact opposite. friend's father is one of 19 kids, including 15 boys. all named jose something. including one jose jose. his own name is also jose. and his wife had a son few months ago. you guessed the name. god help me.
 
rogerjac

rogerjac

Bronze
Feb 9, 2012
1,393
460
83
It doesn't bother me a bit when they tell me I have put on weight. I have always been on the light side so I let it flow. And anyways in my family it was always a compliment that meant you look healthy with a few extra pounds.
 
D

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
all i ever hear is that i lost weight. maybe this is a compliment, i don't know. if i was really getting thinner as my mother in law seems to think i would have already disappeared from the face of the earth.

wait. is she suggesting.... that i should...? disappear...?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom