Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

Well, my BMI is about 27, I'm 5'2" and my weight fluctuates between 144 and 149 lbs. Thist puts me moderately overweight. I would just like to know who designed this calculator? I have big thighs and a nice sized heiny, but let me tell you they are firm. (I must work out :-) The only bit of anything that isn't tucked in on me is my post baby ponch, which is small and not by any means unattractive. So, what would someone recommend I do? Lose muscle and gain fat so that I weigh less but am truly in worse shape? Girls today need not look at size, but how toned they are... It makes me so sad to see these little girls who are as tiny as a walking stick, but are actually quite unattractive (as horribly rude as that may sound) because they are soooooo out of shape. You can be tiny and still have flab or cellulite! So, girlies, if you ask me GO FOR TONED NOT TINY! (Or tiny AND toned... that works as well if you can't stand the thought of being above a size 2 or 5 or whatever.)

Well, my BMI is about 27, I'm 5'2" and my weight fluctuates between 144 and 149 lbs. Thist puts me moderately overweight. I would just like to know who designed this calculator? I have big thighs and a nice sized heiny, but let me tell you they are firm. (I must work out :-) The only bit of anything that isn't tucked in on me is my post baby ponch, which is small and not by any means unattractive. So, what would someone recommend I do? Lose muscle and gain fat so that I weigh less but am truly in worse shape? Girls today need not look at size, but how toned they are... It makes me so sad to see these little girls who are as tiny as a walking stick, but are actually quite unattractive (as horribly rude as that may sound) because they are soooooo out of shape. You can be tiny and still have flab or cellulite! So, girlies, if you ask me GO FOR TONED NOT TINY! (Or tiny AND toned... that works as well if you can't stand the thought of being above a size 2 or 5 or whatever.)

the article was about perceptions of our bodies - the study indicated that those who were dissatisfied ended up gaining weight and becoming sedantary. all of you who condemn "fat" people, labeling them as lazy and having no will-power/self-control - how does this help the situation? how does that help someone feel better about themselves, enough to become motivated to help themselves? instead of berating someone, why not try to help them and motiviate themselves? all of you that have lost weight and been successful by motivating yourself to do so - do you think it would have helped you to have someone on the sideline constantly yelling at you negative things? dont you think we have enough negative self talk going on? anyone who is overweight has enough negative self talk going on inside, they do not need your snide and outright hateful remarks. being overweight and obese is unhealthy, and the goal should be healthy, not a number on a scale. and negative hateful remarks do not help anyone. how many of you would you say these things to someone directly? to their face, not just posting anonymously on a website? the point of the article is being completely missed by these types of hateful comments.

and actually, it is more expensive to eat healthy - apples per pound are more expensive than a hamburger at mcdonalds. even if one chooses healthy options at a fast food joint, it is more expensive, and with the majority of those living below poverty line being women and children, this leaves less options for women to eat healthy and take care of themselves. have you ever tried to feed a family of 4 on $20? until you do, shut your trap about healthy eating not being more expensive.

Well, my BMI is about 27, I'm 5'2" and my weight fluctuates between 144 and 149 lbs. Thist puts me moderately overweight. I would just like to know who designed this calculator? I have big thighs and a nice sized heiny, but let me tell you they are firm. (I must work out :-) The only bit of anything that isn't tucked in on me is my post baby ponch, which is small and not by any means unattractive. So, what would someone recommend I do? Lose muscle and gain fat so that I weigh less but am truly in worse shape? Girls today need not look at size, but how toned they are... It makes me so sad to see these little girls who are as tiny as a walking stick, but are actually quite unattractive (as horribly rude as that may sound) because they are soooooo out of shape. You can be tiny and still have flab or cellulite! So, girlies, if you ask me GO FOR TONED NOT TINY! (Or tiny AND toned... that works as well if you can't stand the thought of being above a size 2 or 5 or whatever.)

Bethesda, you summed it up alright! Why does this society think that being overweight is equal to being unattractive? How many ugly skinny people do we all know? And that is not even the point. The point of the article was that women have definite feelings about how their bodies look and it is different from what the writers expected! Look at what this has degenerated into.

I am so sick of the pressure from the media and Hollywood to fit into a size 2. I eat healthy 80% of the time and excersize because I care about my body and I am poud of my curves. Nothing will ever persuade me to look like a stick. There is nothing sexy about it. Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and lot's of men thought she was "hot". I think that any male who prefers a stick has little taste and can have her. I am happy with myself and have gone to making my own trendy clothes instead of letting sizes or designers that want to put me in a "tent" run my life and If all the people who felt the way I do started boycotting the industry and voicing our opinions the media would chage their ways. Let's face it, they only write what sells RIGHT!

Talking about weight is as dangerous as talking about age, religion, or politics! People on both sides of the fence get so defensive! Everything above is a personal decision. No one can make or help someone else lose weight - it has to be a personal choice, and one that will require great sacrifice and energy and willpower. The same goes for smokers. Anyone can quit smoking, but not until they really really want to. Once you make up your mind that you really really want something that means you're willing to do just about anything to achieve that goal.

Good luck to all trying to lose weight, and good luck to all who are already at optimum weight (that they remain such).

In response to jayindsun, I really don't think we should be basing our idea of "health" on Asian countries. In at least one of them, there is now a word for people who die from overwork. Literally, people who die at their desks. That is horrifying to me. I would rather die because I overindulged in food than because I was shackled to my desk. As a fat person (yep, I used the "f-word") I don't make excuses for my weight. I don't owe anyone an explanation for why I'm fat. Perhaps I am lazy. Perhaps I have medical problems. Perhaps I make poor food choices. Perhaps I'm addicted to food. Regardless of the reason, I don't owe you or anyone else an explanation, and you certainly have no right to make assumptions about why I look the way I do. I don't presume to know why smokers smoke, why drinkers drink, why murderers kill, or why golfers golf. I find it fascinating that someone with a "fast and very high metabolism" thinks he can, therefore, understand those of us with very slow metabolisms. Sir, if we were like the gazelles on the Serengeti, you'd better believe that the fat people would not be the only easy targets. The rail-thin girls who live on Tic Tacs would have no energy to run. The smokers would have no breath to run. The people glued to their cell phones and Blackberries would be too distracted to notice the lions. And though I'm fat, I'm also very strong. I could probably snag one of the skinny people and throw him at the lions while I take my leave. One doesn't survive on fast metabolism alone.

The big deal is, we are the fattest country in the world. People, who are overweight, are committing a slow suicide! And average over weight parents tend to have over weight children. We live in a world of convenience, and instant gratification that allows you to eat what you want when you want without self control. If you think being obese is ok, ask a child. And if you were and obese child, sad but quit making excuses youare grown.

Wow! I see that people have not really changed. EACH person who is overwieght is struggling with not just extra pounds but with other enviromental factors. I am obese, no excuses here, but I come from a line of people who were never thin. I think in the end it is up to the person effected how they must tackle the issue. Doctors and nurses now days don't seem to give reliable advice except for pills to treat the end results. I my self have been through Weight Watchers and it was effective for a while. I have asked repeatedly for a referral to a dietician, which would be covered by my insurance. My doctor seems to think it's not nessesary and will not give the referral. So I am changing doctors. But it seems the medical community at the patient level are not serious with the matter unless you come up with other health related problems. Then of course its all your fault. Well ya know, may be it is, but if your asking for professional help, and there is a vailid reason, should you get it? So to all those in the medical community that have posted that it's always the persons fault for not getting thin. Do a recheck on how you have treated past patients and maybe do a rethink. You find your not helping matters.

I am in the obese category of this article. However, this article is not saying that you should be skinny. It is just saying that the way you think about yourself and what you perceive to be the "norm" (ie your group of friends) influences the way someone will make the healthier choices. I don't see a problem with this article. I agree with it. I am 184 lbs at 5'3". AT a BMI of 33.7, the medical world considers me obese. I don't agree with that, but I do agree that I set small weight loss goals for myself. If I decided to go one way or the other in the extreme, it would be unhealthy for my body either way. Perception is reality.

I personally think that articles like this focus too much on the extremes. If your five foot two and weigh 200 pounds, you don't need to be 120 pounds but you do need to be healthy. I understand that if you're born a certain way you can't help who you are, but if your weight is having negative effects on your body then it doesn't matter if your 98 pounds or 300. All that matters is trying hard to improve your health.