Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

You only have to look around to see that most Americans are fat and need to lose weight. We should not be buying into the mind set that being fat is ok. Being fat should not be acceptable. Advertisers and the media should be promoting healthy bodies in normal weight ranges . Lets face it, we wasted too much time and energy worrying about anorexia when the country should have been focusing on diabetes, heart disease, joint disorders, high blood pressure, mental health issues, etc. that are related to being fat/obese. I am struggling to lose weight but I have lost 100 lbs and plan to lose 75 more. It was not responsible of me to allow myself to get obese and now I am working to promote a healthy/nomal weight image. Being obese was not ok and it should not be promoted as ever being ok or normal.

Comment to Bbama. Nice comment you made, I wonder what would have happened if someone had said that to one of our founding fathers (Benjamin Franklin) who was hefty.

I think that the hardest thing is that with today's generation (20 somethings) and the generation coming up (13-20) the pressure to be "thin" is EXTREMELY overwhelming. My sister is 14 and a size 4 at Hollister and American Eagle (which is small anyways- I was a size 9 at hollister and a size 5 at aeropostale, so that just goes to show) and already she is struggling. We need to focus on showing women how to eat healthy and appreciate their bodies instead of putting the "15 minute guide toa better butt" in the magazine and having every single magazine out there show you how to lose 10 lbs in 7 days or what not.

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I don???t think that the BMI index should be used to measure if a person I over weight or not. It is a very inaccurate way to measurement. I true index would take into account the persons waistline. I also don???t think that people should stress so much about weight. They should put more emphasis on lifestyle changes like healthy eating habits and exercise. Making these changes they could probably lead much healthier lives.
I also think its about time women put as much pressure on men to be in good shape. Women really don???t seem to care if the men they are with are in good shape or not. That???s why the new loose fitting clothes are so popular with young men today it hides all that belly fat. You see gyms full of woman but men are conspicuously absent. Men don???t stress about gaining weight. Why? Because women don???t care about it either. There is way to much pressure on women to be thin.

Enough about fatties, that Bush sure is a liar huh?

BMI index lacks credibility because it does not consider differences in bone density and muscle mass between men and women.

The thing that bothers me about using BMI to determine if you are heathly is that it doesn't take into account bone density or frame size. I am of Swedish decent and all of my family is large bone even the women. My mother passed away after a 5 year battle with cancer and her DEATH Weight was 162 after 3 months of almost no food and her body being eaten away by cancer. She was 5'10". I am also 5'10" and according to the the BMI factor I am obese and my ideal weight should be 170.00 that would leave me approximitly 12 pounds for muscle and body fat. That also cannot be healthy. I do eat a very healthy diet and work out with cardio and strength train 4 days a week and I am also very active. So should I go off of some recomendations that would make me a walking skeleton ? Or should I look at my over all health and wellness?

DONTEATMEAT - LOL.... NO I DON'T EAT MCDONALDS, I FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET AND EXERCISE PROGRAM BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL THE NEED TO CONDEMN PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR WEIGHT, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO AREN'T BROUGHT TO SHAME SPEAKING ABOUT IT DUE TO THE CRITICISM OF IGNORANT PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF!

My mother was a fat girl, she was fat in college and and did not ever lose weight until she was about to get married. After she got married she got fat again. She quit smoking and got fatter (and angrier). She tried every diet in the book and did not lose weight. Finally she joined weight watchers and then switched to TOPS and has been working hard at losing weight ever since. She weighs in every monday and stays on her diet. She has suffered and worked hard now for about 30 years and it shows, she is at her target weight and although fluctuates a little stays close to it. My mother was born with a genetic propensity towards being overweight but has fought hard to not go there. If she can do it I have very little patience for people that just eat too damn much and don't even get out and walk. Hormonal imbalance be damned, people lose metabolism and have to cut back, quit eating so much and you will lose weight!

To: atolie the hun , here we go again with those angry remarks. Sorry, but I am proud of how hard I have worked to get my body into the shape it is in today. And btw, I have been an OR nurse for 11 yrs now and just don't have a soft spot for whiners. Do something about your weight, period... Thanks for your input on my carreer and life though, I am really glad you care! ;)

Sure genetics plays an important role, but how many of those obese people actually maintain an exercise regiment? How many of them make diet choices necessary to maintain weight? This issue is totally about willpower. The majority of people I've encountered who complain about being fat don't forth any sustained effort to lose weight. Being fat will never be the new 'normal'. People should stop making excuses for their weight, and get their butt into the gym.

It is easy for people who have never had a weight problem to make mean spirited and nasty comments and I pray that they never have to deal with the ignorance that they have shown. You may think that being overweight is something to laugh about or make fun of someone over but being overweight is detremental your physical as well as mental health. Think about your comments when you read the entry from the 14 year-old w/POCS. These are peoples LIFES we are talking about. And you may push someone into a situation that YOU will have to live with for the rest of your life. If you can't be humane at least act like you have a heart.

I totally agree. I have been working out 5 days and haven't lost a pound. I had a knee replacement 1.5 years ago due to any injury several years ago and I am not able to do alot of weight bearing exercises. I ride my bike between 7 and 10 miles each time I exercise and my bowflex about 20 minutes a day. I am currently going through menopause and they may be part of the problem. I was a very thin person until I turned about 35 and then I started gaining. I am insulted to think someone would begrudge comfort to anyone because of their size. Good luck with the exercise, and I am not going to stop, hopefully it will eventually help.

It doesn't cost thousands of dollars to lose weight. The idea that healthy food is somehow too expensive and that one can only exercise on a piece of equipment is wrong. A bucket of fried chicken is going to cost you more then a bag of apples and some lean hamburger. Walk to the mail box, take two cans of soup (low fat, low sodium)and use them like one pound weights. Rinse out half gallon low or no fat milk containers and fill them with water and also use them as weights - you can add a small amount of water in the beginning and keep adding water as you get stronger - plus theses containers have handles that are easy to grip. Magazines often have simple at home exercises that can be done with equipment.

Write down everything you eat in a day - you'd be surprised, you eat more then you realize. Make better food choices - chances are if it's precooked and frozen then its probably loaded with fats and salt. Veggies actually taste very good when they are not doing the back stroke in butter or cheese sauce. Use a smaller plate - and instead of having more food immediately - wait 20 minutes - that's how long it takes for your stomach to tell your brain that it's full.

There's a TON of free information on eating properly and getting fit. If you think that taking a pill is going to solve your weight problem then you've already failed.

The BMI index is a very poor measurement and really not accurate at all. A true measure should take into account a persons waist line plus thier wieght and Height. I think really that people should pay less attention to wieght and more on lifestyle changes like eathing healthy, exercise etc. I also think that its about time women put the same presure on men to be in good shape. Women dont really put alot of value on men with good bodies. So men are by far alot more over weight then woman. Thats why you dont see men stressing about thier pot bellies.

Momma2four: you must be one of those associates degree nurses who are barely trained enough to dispense juice. I hope nobody takes your comments with any degree of seriousness. People's bodies come in all shapes and sizes and anyone who has such a simplistic view of weight/health has no business working in the medical profession. You are absolutely worthless to anyone who struggles to make better lifestyle choices and be more active. Your judgmental attitude speaks to your lack of intellect and effectiveness as a nurse. You must work at VA hospital or some county facility. I can't think of any progressive medical center who would waste their time with someone as clearly inept as you.