November 10, 2026 at 10:23 am

A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two-Week Timeout Over The Comment

by Heide Lazaro

Man feeling depressed about his food

Pexels/Reddit

Some jokes can cause unexpected problems between roommates.

In this story, a woman unintentionally upset her roommate after texting him a joke that he took seriously.

The comment came during an emotional breakdown after calorie counting made her feel guilty about eating a sweet treat.

Although she apologized afterward, her roommate gave them the silent treatment for two weeks.

Read the full story below to find out more.

AITA for making a joke about my roommate’s appetite

My roommate had been in a stupor where he was unable to eat anything without feeling nauseated.

He would constantly talk about how he had only eaten once during the day.

Or how he hadn’t eaten in days.

It started to get under my skin a bit subconsciously.

Because I am a person who struggles myself with food-related issues.

This woman cried over a sweet treat during one of her calorie-deficit days.

On a particular day, I had a calorie-counting-induced breakdown.

Because I was so excited to eat a sweet treat that I had gotten.

But then I calculated that it would put me over my calorie limit for the day.

I think all my stressors had snapped at that point because I was literally in tears over a treat.

She texted her roommate a joke that he took seriously.

During my breakdown, I texted my roommate, “Teach me the ways of not eating.”

He took huge offense to this joke, telling me I’m not allowed to speak to him until he says so.

This has been going on for two weeks now, and I’ve been in his “timeout.”

At first, I had felt bad about making the joke and had apologized to him over text.

But he still says I can’t talk to him, and at this point, it’s getting ridiculous.

She thought her roommate was being overdramatic when she already apologized to him.

Even more so, jokes in that nature have never been off-limits.

He often jokingly calls his friends fata** and calls people fat. He also makes jokes about food.

So it feels like overkill for this reaction to a food joke that I could not have possibly foreseen being this big of an issue.

And he refuses to communicate with me either in any capacity.

He told my other roommate that my text apology didn’t feel genuine.

But I don’t get how else I was supposed to apologize when he says I can’t speak to him.

Uh oh! It sounds like OP’s joke may have touched a sensitive subject for her roommate.

It’s understandable that he felt hurt, even if OP didn’t intend to offend him.

However, I agree that refusing to talk to her for two weeks after receiving an apology seems excessive.

Let’s read the responses of other people to this story.

Short and honest.

Screenshot 2026 11 09 at 7.00.14 PM A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two Week Timeout Over The Comment

Here’s another personal remark.

Screenshot 2026 11 09 at 7.09.22 PM A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two Week Timeout Over The Comment

Here’s a valid point.

Screenshot 2026 11 09 at 9.27.44 PM A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two Week Timeout Over The Comment

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mom who has been saving for her child’s private education, but now her stepson’s mother expects her to do the same for her stepkid.

Get professional help, advises this one.

Screenshot 2026 11 09 at 9.28.44 PM A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two Week Timeout Over The Comment

Finally, this makes sense, too.

Screenshot 2026 11 09 at 9.31.09 PM A Woman Joked About Not Eating During A Stressful Breakdown, But Her Roommate Put Her In A Two Week Timeout Over The Comment

Roommate disagreements shouldn’t come with a two-week waiting period!

Enjoyed this story?

Readers who liked this also read this story about a person who changed their minds about donated items, only to return to the shop to find them all sold.
Read Story→

Heide Lazaro is a veteran human-interest writer and digital culture expert with over a decade of experience in editorial strategy. Specializing in lifestyle, social dynamics, and the internet's most compelling stories, Heide has authored and published more than 10 books online. Beyond her daily reporting, she is a dedicated motivational speaker who helps audiences connect through the power of storytelling. When she isn't sifting through the web's wildest real-life drama, Heide is an avid runner, painter, and novel-enthusiast fueled by a truly excellent cup of coffee.