Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

I have been over weight all my life and can do things even a sickly skinny person can do I am healthier than most and proud of my body the problem with todays socity is how hollywood has everyone thinking the body should look.. but what does it matter what there person looks like on the outside. all that matters is who they are and the kind of person that body houses! I am also proud to say I dont have heart disesas or diabetes so dont sterio type everyone just because of weight! Oh and being in the medical field someone elses weight has nothing to do with your insurance premiums, talk to the people that dont pay their bills on that one!

i would like to say to one of your commentors i had gastric bypass in may i lost 84 pounds and work out 3 times a week now . everybody is different. but when it comes ot your health you have to make changes one of your commentors are in denial her name is geightors. i love my curves also but guess what i had to take off some weight bottom line no i will never be a size six but i feel good at 50 yrs old and look good i might add . i can move around bend over tie my shoes. come on let's keep this real. no one want to stay fat if you do guess what something is wrong.

What can I say, I have never been overweight, however after having my son I doubled my weight! 160 i'm 5'2. I weighed a woppind 100lbs when I got married even when I found out I was pregnant. No one told me to be careful with what I ate because I would have to work really hard to get the weight off. Because I was not familiar at all with dieting I did'nt have a clue. My husband has always enjoyed the weight room so with his encouragement I joined him. By the way lifting weights sheds the lbs off much quicker than cardio! I weigh 105 and I have kept up my figure by continuing my habits. It is a lifestyle change. You have to be willing to realize that your body will loose at time shed the weight rapidly and then it will platow and then shed again. It's part of it. It works if you work it. Tiny Healthy and lovin it!!

I am faT and I dont CARE

Over weight is NOT the NEW normal, unless of course U have a DEATH wish 2B DEAD @ 53!!!

This is sooooooooooooo rediculous

I THINK THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REDICULOUS!!! I AM FAT IT DOSENT MATER GET USED TO IT!

obese and over weight people who continue to perpetuate the heart disease and type 2 diabetes epidemics in this country have contributed to the ultra high costs of insurance and medical care. When will we stop providing justification and excuses for unhealthy weight people?! I think the largest problem is a lack of education regarding what is healthy food vs. unhealthy food. I think that those who follow a healthy diet and exercise regime shouldnt be forced to carry the burden of higher insurance premiums caused by those who choose not to educate and take the iniative to be healthy. The BMI measure if for ALL people regardless of race. Just b/c you are not a white person doesnt mean you should have excessive body fat! Stop with the excuses and stop stuffing your face with crap!

Overweight IS NOT the NEW Normal......unless of course you have A death Wish 2B DEAD @ 53!!!!!

I think this article is the most ridiculous thing i have seen all day. I'm fat. So just have me now. I am a 24 year old woman, i have had 2 kids, no whole bunch of weight gain there either. My issue is, who in the world is the BMI actually created for? I am of african-american and latina decent and I feel that chart does not apply tome. That chart is made for caucaisian men and women who in no shape, form or fashion are shaped like we are. We have more hips, thighs. butt and everything else typically. It is everyone's responisbilty to keep theirself healty. I work otu 3 times a week, yes I cheat every now and then but who doesn't. That's just as crazy as people who go and order a cheeseburger and a large fry and then say I want a diet coke. It's about control, According to the chart I am obese, which is ludacris. It's funny to see how these doctors can sit in their pretty offices and diagnose everybody and yet we wonder how the teenage suicide rate is high. I will ever be on Vanity Fair, Elle, Cosmo, or anything simliar no will anyone who looks like me. So we will settle for magazines like Figure, that realize that some human beings still exists in this world and we are all not Twiggy

The long and the short of it is that "overweight" is unhealthy. It leads to every health complication in the book, and finding reasons for it's acceptance is appalling. Like smoking or drinking, if you're obese and you understand the health risks, that's your choice. Otherwise proper nutrition and exercise should be glorified to save our young children from losing their parents prematurely to obesity complications. Also the more excuses we hand out towards "Accepting your weight", "it's who you are" the worse the problem is going to get. Obesity is a modern day problem. While for a small percentage it rings true, to blame every case of obesity on genetics is ignorant. Do you see any photos of obese people prior to 1950? During the information age we have to motivate ourselves to move away from the TV's and computers, structure our meals for ourselves and our children, and go outside and get some exercise! This comment is from a certified personal trainer. Anyone can change their life. It's never too late!

I am what's is considered obese according to BMI standards but at the same time I am not a morbidly obese woman. True we all must watch what we eat and it's our responsibilty to control it. I excercise, 3 times a week, I admit I treat myself to something less healthy once a week, but I love who I am. this makes me question just who is the BMI created for. It is my strongers belied that it is based on caucasian men and women. I am of african american and latina decent. We, in no shape or fashion are shaped like a caucaision woman. Typically most of us have more hips, thighs, and butt. I have had 2 children, didn't gain a bunch of weight but i am still not what u wanna see on the cover of Vanity Fair. So, no matter what some doctor says, I'm happy with me, even if to the mdical world I am this great big fat person. They can always post studies and everything but have of the stuff does not fit everyone. I think some of these criterion and everythign need to be re-evaluated

I am what's is considered obese according to BMI standards but at the same time I am not a morbidly obese woman. True we all must watch what we eat and it's our responsibilty to control it. I excercise, 3 times a week, I admit I treat myself to something less healthy once a week, but I love who I am. this makes me question just who is the BMI created for. It is my strongers belied that it is based on caucasian men and women. I am of african american and latina decent. We, in no shape or fashion are shaped like a caucaision woman. Typically most of us have more hips, thighs, and butt. I have had 2 children, didn't gain a bunch of weight but i am still not what u wanna see on the cover of Vanity Fair. So, no matter what some doctor says, I'm happy with me, even if to the mdical world I am this great big fat person. They can always post studies and everything but have of the stuff does not fit everyone. I think some of these criterion and everythign need to be re-evaluated

The most informative and motivating part of this web page is the article. Just reading the comments is enough to make anyone who is struggling with thier weight want to shoot themselves--The sad past about it is that I'm pretty certain that most of the commentors here would encourage it. No wonder we have so many emotionally overweight women in this country. Why bother to care about yourself when the only guarantee of attention from the opposite sex is to look like a porn star and possibly even act like one?

This is a reply to Princesskayd's post about being very skinny and still losing weight--Your story sounds exactly--I mean EXACTLY--like one of my childhood friends. She was skinny from Day 1, and no matter what her parents fed her, or the prescription calorie and protein shakes her doctors put her on, she could never, EVER gain weight. She eventually started taking medication, like you, for suspected ulcers, etc. Finally, when she was 14 or 15, they discovered she had cancer--non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph node cells). It's usually pretty rare for teenagers, especially girls, but it does happen. Some types of leukemia (cancer of the blood) are most often found in kids and teenagers, and their symptoms are similar. I know that sounds insanely scary, but it's something you may want to talk to your doctor about, especially since you're losing weight. If you also feel tired all the time, and have tested positive for anemia (not enough iron in your blood), get nights sweats, or have swollen glands, definitely do some research (webMD is a great source, but DON'T diagnose yourself!!!)--then TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR!!! At 17, you're right in the age range for some of those cancers, and a major symptom of them is weight loss.

Another much-less-scary thing to consider is hyperthyroidism. Another friend of mine has been underweight her entire life and has to take medication every day to stop her overactive thyroid. Your thyroid is a gland in your throat that regulates your metabolism (among other things), and if it produces too much of its hormones, then your metabolism will be far too fast and you will most likely be thin and have trouble gaining weight (some people with hyperthyroidism are normal weight). If you also have an occasional racing heartbeat, irregular periods, often sweat or feel warm, or have nervousness or anxiety, check with your doctor--it could make a HUGE difference in your life to find out that one little gland in your throat is giving you all these issues. It's almost always extremely easy to fix with the right medication, and no, it won't make you fat to fix it--it'll just make you normal. Best of luck to you.

You must have your thyroids check regularly. If you are trully following a no carb-low calorie diet, you should lose weight with little to regular exercise. If your hormones are off balance, you will not lose weight no matter what you do aside from starving yourself. My friend lost 45lbs in one month after she finally figured out her thyroids were way off balance. She too followed a low carb low calorie diet and lived in the gym. When my dad told me about thyroids possibly bieng the problem (he is a RN) she had them checked, was givien hormone treatments, stuck to her current regimen and dropped the pounds right off. Its important to have a full on physical done regualrly.