Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

Well said amy. Weight should not be associated with beauty. It should only be associated with health. There are many thin people who are not healthy and many who are overweight who are. If your doctor tells you that smoking is killing you, it would benefit you to quit. The same holds true for ones weight. If it is causing you health problems, then it would behoove you to do something about it. However, if you are overweight but in good health, then your weight should not be associated with how beautiful you are. I have seen many thin women who I find unattractive and many heavier women that are absolutely beautiful. IMHO

First of all, I think that the weight charts of a woman being a healthy weight at 120's apply only to that particular body type. French, Italian, Belgians - all slim people with small bones. I have worked hard to be a size 10 and maintain it and when I went to Europe last year I felt obese. ( I'm 51 and active )One store in Italy didn't have anything in my size. ( How embarrassing). Being overweight is more than just overeating. The book yourdietmind.com explained to me why I was eating more than just enough to feed my body.and what I could do to stop. You can't help people lose weight through suggestions. It's a personal issue and believe me if they could stop eating they would. No one wants to be overweight. The people who hate "fatties " are just ignorant of the problem, as unfortunately are a lot of doctors. Food can be an addiction for some, the way smoking, alcohol and gambling is and unlike those you can't quit eating entirely. The people who hate fatties have their own problems believe me, only theirs don't necessarily show up on their body size. Don't feel bad for being overweight. Love yourself enough to retrain your food tastes and amounts so that you can be healthy permanently. Potvinb - Watching a loved one eat themselves to death must be horrid. I am so sorry for your loss. I hope your post helps motivate some to make the changes you recommended. As a formerly fat person ( still fat in Europe) I will tell you that there would have been nothing you could do to stop my eating. It was me who had to feel I was worth the effort. I had to believe I could do it and the pain the change would take. The drive to eat too much and the wrong types of food was way too strong for suggestions by well meaning friends to stop me. I would just have hidden my excess eating from you. To Rottadvl love yourself enough to give yourself a better life by working at getting a handle on those urges to overeat.. There are people who understand and care about what you are going through. Ignore the ignoramuses whose comments make you feel bad. Look after yourself. You deserve it.

A comment about the clothing sizes. I noticed after wearing a 14 for years, then losing weight, that I fit into a size 8. Being a sentimental person, I had clothing from 30 years ago when I was in my 20's. They were size 8 and I still can't get into them. Proof positive that sizes aren't what they used to be. Today's 8 is a generation ago's 10.

This article makes a lot of sense. But maybe all the academics on the subject are missing something. Our kids are taller and bigger than they used to be too. Maybe it is time that they changed the norm for a women weighing 120 lbs to 140lbs. a 5"6" woman, weighing 140lbs could probably fit into a size 6. What's wrong with that? I think most of these old weight charts and ideals are based on western European body types ( French, Italian, Belgian English ) and those people have thin bodies, On a recent trip to Europe, although I worked hard to lose weight and maintain a size 10, I felt obese over there. One shop in Italy had nothing in my size. (How embarassing). When I think of my weight on the scale and the weight charts, I think I need to lose 40lbs. When I think of my size and the way I look ( normal) I dont' think I need to lose 40 lbs. I am active and athletic and 51. There is a book that helped me called yourdietmind.com that explains about emotional eating, and how to love myself slim. It helped me see that my attitude about food and the way I look can cause me to be fat. It talked to me about the myths and attitudes towards food that I didn't even know I had. I had to look at reasons why I was eating all the time. No one needs to feel bad about being overweight. I made changes that help me keep weight off and lose some too. Love yourself slim like this article says.- just because you are overweight doesn't mean you aren't worthy. I wish all those mean people out there who hate "fatties" could be overweight themselves for a week, with all the associated eating behaviors that go along with it and maybe they'd stop making fun of the way people look. Commercials on tv, oversized meals, our tastebuds being trained to like fatty and sugary foods, come on, someone tell me why some are affected with weight gain and others not? The slim don't have willpower problems because they aren't overly attracted to these foods in the first place. They don't understand what it's like. Just ignore them as they are just completely ignorant of an issue that is far bigger than just eating too much.

Rottndvl, I'm sorry you've been mistreated because of your weight, but I think it would be much healthier for you to stop being so bitter about the cruelty of others and just do what's best for yourself. I was very skinny as a kid and into my teens and was teased relentlessly because of that. It's always going to be something - kids are cruel and so are some adults. After two kids, I gained about 45 lbs. over my normal weight and carried it around for years. I finally joined WW and was able to lose that weight in about a year. Although I didn't like the way I looked with the extra pounds, I was even more concerned about my health and that was what drove me to do something about it. If you want to be around to see your 4 year old grow up, you need to ignore the nasty comments and concentrate on what's best for your own health. You've admitted you don't eat right - so start there. Even moderate changes in your diet can make a big difference and there are plenty of websites that can help you make better choices. Good luck to you and I hope you have a long and happy life.

I am a 41 year old mother of two, since my new marriage I have gained 125 pounds. I did the test and my BMI is 43.9, I have tried everything know to man to lose weight except for surgery. I want to lose at least 150lbs. I weight 284 right now and I am not a happy camper.

I am 44 years old and have weight 200 lbs for about 15 years, I am very active and very muscular. The BMI puts me at 33% that is bull. I hate the scale as well as the "fat index". I do have the family curse which is a belly and round face, and have actually had complete strangers ask me if I have Cushings syndrome and have also had somebody ask me if I have calf implants. Where do they get off approaching a complete stranger and asking personal questions like that. At the time I was so shocked all I could do was say "no" with a look of disgust on my face, since then I have thought of a few witty retorts and cannot wait to use them.

There seems to be alot of very hostile comments here towards overweight people, and I honestly do not understand why. If the people making derragatory comments towards those struggling with their weight are so happy and content with their own body images, why do they feel the need to criticize others? But then again, being thin, athletic and fit does not automatically translate into self confidence does it folks? You criticize because fit or not, you all still don't like yourselves.

I agree with the article in that it appears that more and more PEOPLE (not just women) seem to be perfectly comfortable carrying around alot of extra weight. I say PEOPLE, because I absolutely cannot stand the idea that it is ok for men to be fat, but not okay for women. Guys, believe me, an enormous belly protruding over skinny legs, a weak chest and rubberband arms is NOT appealing - so think twice before you criticize a woman who is carrying around a bit of extra weight.
In the past 5 years even, I have watched friends balloon up about 30 lbs each - many of whom are under 30 years old. I am ten years older than that and still weigh less than I did in high school - despite my impending "life change" and my diminished thyroid output.
I do not criticize others, but often I do wonder why a young person would be content to be so overweight. My belief is it all boils down to a certain laziness. It takes work and commitment to exercise for an hour every day; to buy healthy foods and plan good meals. It takes willpower to say no to pizza and choose a salad instead. Being overworked and over tired is a common but insufficient excuse. People need to place more importance health and well being rather than on job titles, bigger paychecks and extended shopping sprees.
There are limits to what you can do with diet and exercise (for example, I will never be any smaller than a size 4-6 no matter what I do), but if I person wants to at least be in the "normal" range in the weight department, it is not that difficult. All said and done however, healthy living remains the choice of the individual - and your ugly comments and sideways looks at fat people will not make them choose to lose weight any more than your disgust with cigarette smoke will make a cigarette smoker give up smoking. Try instead to show people what they will GAIN by changing their lifestyle, instead of criticizing them - try helping others instead of looking down your nose. If you can't do that, then you are in fact uglier and more unattractive then any fat person could ever be.

three years ago I was 365 pounds, it all comes down too if you want to get healthy and live a long life and loose the weight you will do it, I am currently at 294 pounds, and slow and steady makes effective weight loss not all these loose weight fast gimmicks so loosing weight is based on if you want to make a change of your lifestyle and get away from the diet mentality and make better choices.

From the time I was 10 years old up until 23 years old I suffered with being overweight. I tried every diet out there. I danced 5 nights a week for multiple hours at a time(depending on how many classes I had that night) but nothing worked. I went back and forth to doctors, but all they said was that I didn't exercise enough. I would journal my food intake but all they said was I don't understand why you can't lose the weight. It was just so emotionally frustrating. I couldn't stand shopping for clothes because nothing ever fit right or looked right for that matter. The best thing that I ever did was have Gastric By Pass surgery in July of 2003. It was the best thing that I ever did in my whole life. I* just couldn't take the stares, looks, comment , and whispers people would make about me. It was way to hurtful
Was 5'2" 235lbs Now 5'2" 145lbs

I am sick to death of people hating fat people and thinking all fat people just sit a round eating all day. Some of us have a life to live. As I am one of those fat people I have spent me life hiking, swiming, bike riding and yes even horse back riding. I my not look good but I am not about to have fat hater keep me down. I have ridden my bike from my house to the beach which is twenty six miles and had a sister in-law who was normal weight couldn't make it back. I have hike in the mountains. I have lake, river and ocean swam. Not all of us are lazy.
I have work as a packer, dog groomer, screen maker and train my own horses.
I eat salads, chicken, vegtables and steaks. I hate pasta and eat very little cake and cookies.
Some of us just don't burn fat as fast as other. But that does not gives people the right to tell
us how to live. I can understand why most fat people wont go out but stay in their house and hide. This is our lives we have to deal with it each and every day we don't need people remember us about our weight problem. Do you think we do not know? What maybe easy one person could be hell for another. So stop hating and be a friend!
weight 314 Hight 5-4

The truth is that no matter what you look like, fat, thin, muscular, fit, voluptuous, whatever, there's always gonna be someone somewhere that will find fault with you. You can be thin and someone will say "oh mi god, here eat something quick, you skinny,b**ch". You can be fit and someone will say "oh god your biceps are starting to look like a man's". Either way, fat or thin someone will always find a way to hate. So you just have to learn to say screw their narrow opinionated asses and be healthy and happy and live your own life, KAY?!!!!!!!!!

I think defining one's health by a BMI number is risky in itself. I'm 5'0", and I have a fairly muscular build. When I was 18 I ran and lifted weights, and I spent the summer cycling from Missoula, MT to Jasper, Alberta. But when I saw that I was still near the upper end of "normal" on the BMI, I became concerned about my weight. I dropped down to 105 pounds, which is still "normal" on the BMI, but at that weight I had so little body fat that I stopped getting my period. That stupid measure caused me unnecessary anxiety, and is not helpful for high school or college-age girls, who frequently already have enough body issues.
People should look at fat measures and general fitness, rather than at BMI. If a person can cycle all day, fun 4-5 miles without stopping, and bench press their weight, they are probably fit even if they aren't in the "normal" range of the BMI. The way to fitness is to maintain healthy habits -- exercise regularly and eat several servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Then the numbers will take care of themselves.

My grandmothers were both farmers wive's. They were both in their primes in the 1930s. They were very heavy women. Now you would say obese. But for their times and the small communities they lived in, they were seen as prosperous. During the depression if you had more than just skin on your bones you were wealthy. You were doing very well.

If you look at real people in photos of the early 1900's - warehouse workers, canneries, farming, any kind of work where "real women" were, you will see that they were real women, and that yes, they did have curves. The food was cured with salt. Their diet was laden with FAT. To say we are the fattest that American has ever been is garbage. The definition of beauty changes with time and also with ethnicity. It is all propaganda.

Oh dear...I am overweight myself, and I know this because my clothes don't fit me properly anymore, not because I got some number from a BMI equation. They do have some merit, but in the end they are just a table of average values. I personally am fighting the inevitable aftermath of a c-section, as well as the usual changes in a female figure over time.

Fatness is not only an aesthetic issue, it is a health issue. People need to do what is heathiest for THEM, period. If you are like me, small-boned, 5'2'', and 160 pounds-get rid of the weight. Eat better. Exercise regularly. Staying overweight or obese and being well adjusted about it will just make you a well-adjusted corpse, prematurely. You all know it's true. Stop lying to yourselves!

there are a lot of people who rather eat junk food and sit around rather than do anything constuctive.
if your skinny and you got a beer belly you still got a beer belly. and so what if you like to sit around and let yourself get round. just dont jeer at me as im able to swiftly manuveure around the work. being out of shape is not something to be proud of, and alot of people today dont do anything for themselves to feel empowered and we have a culture that accepts laziness and voluptuous bodies you knoe personally come as you are but a real freind will ask is that the best you can do?