To provide some background, I (17f) have two siblings: an older brother, J (21), and a younger sister (7). For a long time, ever since I hit puberty, my family has constantly criticized my weight. I weigh 140 pounds, which my physician says is perfectly healthy, but my family views it as obese. J is the primary bully; he frequently claims I’m going to have a heart attack or develop diabetes because I supposedly ‘overeat.’ In reality, J consumes far more than I do and spends his time lounging around, yet my parents excuse it by saying he’s a ‘growing boy.’ I’m denied cake or special meals on my own birthdays, while J gets whatever he wants. When I cook dinner, my mother insists I make massive portions just so J can eat his fill.
Despite this, I am the scapegoat whenever food goes missing. Whether it’s a full carton of juice, snacks, or leftovers, I get blamed even if I haven’t touched them. I eventually stopped defending myself because they were committed to their narrative. My daily routine involves being at school from 7 am to 3 pm without eating breakfast or lunch. I only eat dinner when I get home before sleeping at 10 pm and waking up at 5 am. Logically, there is no way I could be the one finishing all the food.
Recently, J told our mom he wasn’t feeling well. He complained of constant fatigue and thirst, so the doctor ordered blood work. It turns out he has Type 2 diabetes. I watched my mom and J stare at the results in total shock, and J looked so stunned that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. They both looked at me with pure hatred. My mother then forced me to get tested too, convinced that if J had it, I must have it as well. When my results came back completely healthy, I laughed even harder. Now, my mom has told our entire extended family that I’m heartless for mocking my brother’s illness, and I’m being harassed by everyone. Interestingly, now that J has to watch what he eats, food is actually rotting in the fridge because nobody is eating it. Am I the jerk?
EDIT: I’ve seen the mixed reactions. Some say he got what he deserved, while others think I’m wrong because diabetes is life-threatening. It’s only fatal if he refuses to manage his diet. Since I’m the one who cooks, I’m making sure his meals are sugar-conscious to avoid complications. Just because I laughed at the irony doesn’t mean I don’t care about him; he’s still my brother. Regarding my eating habits, I appreciate the concern, but I genuinely struggle to eat more than one meal. The idea of breakfast or lunch makes me feel sick and gives me headaches. Even when I’m starving, I can’t keep much down besides dinner, but I’m going to try to improve this.