Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

Picture this---

An eight year old boy scheduled for an emergency appendectomy.
He is 5 feet tall. He is pleasant but in distress. Eyes are tearful. Parents are hovering.
He weighs 160 pounds.

How did an eight year old boy gain that much weight? He dosen't have polycyctic ovaries, he is not hypothyroid, He does not drive a car to McDonalds.

However, his parents are huge. The father weighs over 400 pounds and his mother is a spherical 350 pounds. In this family, being really big is normal.

After successful removal of his appendix, the young lad got a wound infection, required additional surgery and spent two weeks in the hospital. His hospital bill exceeded $ 250,000.

Now that's a health problem.

when i was 16, b/c of a thyroid disorder, my weight plummetted. i looked anorexic in my eyes. the doctor told me that i was still not at my "ideal" weight. i told him to shove it. now i'm 27, 274lbs, and feel very fulfilled with life. i've actually lost 23lbs since april. i find that if i don't look at it as dieting, then i'm more likely to lose it. i do portion control more than anything. i absolutely do not exercise though which is something i should change. i set small goals too. my resolution for 2007 was not to lost 100lbs...instead i opted for 20 which i've succeeded in doing.

First I'd like to point out that I think the BMI scale is crap. It takes into account only how heavy you are, not your mucsle mass (which weighs more that fat). My fiance is 200 lbs, but he is a semi body builder and I'd be shocked if he had more than 10% body fat, however the BMI says he is "obese". Another point of women being comfortable with themselves, I'll use myself as an example. I am 280, but I have never in my life been made to feel I was ugly or not ok. Which more or less makes me happy with my life. My fiance loves my curves, my hips, my chest. I work out 5 days a week, elypitical, treadmill, swim laps and lift weights. I eat a fairly healthy diet. Why does being skinny mean being healthy? I am perfectly healthy, have no diseases, no asthma and can cilmb whole flights of stairs. I'm beautiful and have no desire to change. Women, take pride in yourselves and take care of your bodies, no matter how much you weight.

We as a society should be gauging our physical fitness level not our pant size. Having young daughter I don't want them obsessing about their weight resulting in a eating disorder but I also dont want them to think it is okay to be fat. Being over wieght is a HEALTH issue not a vanity issue. We need to looking at how many miles a person can run not what size they are. Life is about balance and health. Our children are at great risk if we as parents do not do something to stop this skinny/fat obsession and teach them to be happy and healthy from birth on.

I have been overweight on and off most of my adult life and agree that the only thing that will keep it under control is diet and excercise. Now the good news. I am 54 years old and the one great thing about getting into your 50's is you really don't give a damn any longer about what strangers think of you. Why, you're not important to me and I'm not interested in impressing you. Why should or would I care what you think?

This article is informing those who read it of the risks of being overweight or obese. I see nothing in the article that judges or criticizes those who are overweight.

You people are sick. Why do you worry about other people? You know what I really don't care if i'm fat so deal with it. Who the hell are you to judge other people? You're obviously the one sitting on your computer all day commenting on things you know nothing about. Heres some advice...GET A LIFE AND WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF. go be stupid and ignorant somewhere else.

Thats funny, but not nice! You wouldn't want someone saying things like that about you!

Fat is not the new norm, somebody is just saying that because they are fat and are trying to cope with it.

Is fat the new norm? NO!!! F*!# NO!!!! HOW BOUT WE MAKE SELF CONTROL AND EXERCISE THE NORM!!!

Our greatest downfall in the fight against personal obesity issues is not how much we as a nation are eating, but WHAT we're eating. We're so tied up in the mass rush to accomplish every little thing that's shoved into our daily schedules to sit for a quiet well chewed healthy meal. Instead we opt for the convenience of the nearest drive through window or having the local pizza place deliver clogged arteries in a box. We feed our children what is quick and simple to make and usually comes from a box or a can *ie hamburger helper or spaghettios , mac n' cheese* because after a long day of working to pay our ways, we're too worn thin to master a good homecooked meal. The medical conditions that result from this self abuse in turn create an even more disastrous position to be in. Look at the rise in cancers..in diabetes. Unless socially, we can step back and take the time out of our busy schedules to maintain a healthier lifestyle, the trend will only continue.

To defend your husband, in my opinion we do not think of our wives as fat. I saw a pic of my wife after our 2nd child and i can't remember her ever looking that heavy, but she was. Now she has lost weight and I don't think of her any differently. She is just attractive no matter what weight she is!

Most people in this society are just plain old lazy and unmotivated.drowing themselves in self pitty. If we had a flag to represent us with other flags of people in this world we would win the heffer award. While People in countries like Darfur are wasting away.... Very sad. Maybe if the overweight people were faced with these images everyday they'd choose not to over indulge and send some of that food to countries with people who are starving to death. Meanwhile the people who are purposefully starving themselves should be shown classic nude/dressed images of beauty painted by world renound artists and see that never was there an image painted to depict people as beautiful with a skeletal body, And also maybe these peple would choose to put some clothes on. Not everyone is ment to be thin or ment to be obese... There are thyroid diseases and high metabolisms etc....Obese is a different story....