Society has made us "comfortable" being overweight and obese

ronda_gettinghealthy

By Julie Upton, RD

A new report issued last week warned us that, if trends in the U.S. waistline continue as they are, 50% of our population would be obese by 2030. There are many reasons why overweight and obesity are such problems right now. Some research suggests that we’ve grown more comfortable being overweight and that being overweight has become “normal,” while being of an ideal weight may appear to be “underweight.” While national surveys show that 67% of Americans are overweight or obese, a new survey of 1,000 Americans by Russell Research commissioned by Pollock Communications, showed only 52% of Americans believe they are overweight. This lack of reality around body weight and diet is considered to be one of the many barriers in the nation’s growing obesity epidemic. We’ve become more “numb” to overweight and obesity because it’s everywhere; a person who is of normal weight actually appears to be the one who doesn’t fit in anymore. Getty ImagesResearch published in scientific journals has found that obesity appears to be socially contagious. For example, Harvard Medical School researchers found that your chances of becoming obese are 57% greater if you have a close friend who is obese. Researchers at Arizona State University also found that women who had someone in their social circle who was overweight or obese were more likely to have pounds to lose too. If your friends are overweight it makes it easier to accept your weight, even if it’s more than what you’d really like to weigh. In addition, your eating and exercise habits may be impacted by what your friends want to eat and do socially. It’s easy living large In our country where the majority of individuals need to lose weight, it’s become too easy to live large, making it harder to motivate people to take steps to shed pounds. Vanity-sized apparel; Lycra (read: stretchy) clothing; larger plates, bowls, glasses and utensils; wider seats in cars and movie theaters; and bigger portions are all examples of ways the environment has changed to make it more comfy being overweight.


***my additions**** 20 years ago we didnt have a category of morbid obesity or super morbid obesity -- now this is a common finding on wt charts....

we also didnt have "super size" at fast food restaurants nor did we have so many ( I am not talking about the number of chains but the sheer number of establishments...I counted the other day in a 2 mile stretch here in Lubbock, there are 12 fast food restaurants...EGADS

rbloedow

I think this is really a "no duh!" article.

LoveHoodies

One trend that I don't understand is the "big and beautiful." Yes, you can be beautiful at any weight, but I've seen lots of ads for tv shows and what not that seem to promote being overweight and obese. What about being healthy and beautiful?

CharlieBarleyMom

That article speaks to "weight" as a number. Everyone I speak to that is working toward being healthy, and this site as well, honor each person's individual comfort zone. Weight charts are for an average person... and they cannot take into consideration a person's stature (frame size). I'm not disputing that this country has a weight problem, not at all. I just think that because someone is comfortable at a weight that MAY NOT be the weight she is supposed to be based on a chart is NOT a bad thing.

shreyaj

This is so true. By a BMI standard I am obese, I am 159 pounds and I'm 5'0 tall. So I know that I'm on the heavier side but no one has ever called me fat, or commented on my weight, I was never uncomfortable. Never found it hard to find clothes that fit me. I felt it was socially acceptable to be this weight because a lot of people look like me so that being sad being comfortable made it harder for me to get the motivation to start eating better and get to the gym, but I hate how I feel and I hate how I look in the mirror so I'm doing something about it! It's hard to tell loved ones that you are worried about their weight since it's such a touchy subject and everyone is sensitive about it.

pandabear_

But then all you hear is "The media is making anorexia the norm", "Underweight is desirable". Loads of celebrities are highlighted in magazines as being fat when they are just normal weight, not even close to overweight. As a teenager, I would say the media and as a result society has made us feel even less secure being overweight or even normal weight. It's now a norm in magazines to be stick thin. No one wants to see a model with curves!


Maybe the boundaries and comfortability of what is 'overweight' are changing, but so are the 'skinny' and 'healthy' boundaries.

Laurelje

I totally understand the comment about BMI. I have never considered myself overweight, but according to my BMI (I'm 5'6" tall and weigh 158), I am overweight. I've made exercise a habit, and have started tracking what I eat, so hopefully it will decrease. But I do those things to get healthy, not to make a number on the scale.

baisleac

While most of the article is a "no duh", I also think the over reliance on "charts" is B.S.

I'm currently 155 lbs @ 5' 3.75" tall. This puts me solidly in the "Overweight" category on the BMI chart. My "goal" weight of 145 is BARELY (by 0.7lbs) in the "healthy" range on that chart.

On the other hand? I'm at 24.36% body fat, which is at the top end of "Fitness" by most body fat guidelines. At my goal BF% of 20% (which will put me somewhere around my goal weight) I'll be considered to be at the upper end of the "athletic" range... and despite being BARELY "healthy" by BMI standards, I'll be very fit and healthy by every other measure.

dad106

I can def. see the truth to this article. When I was in college a lot of my friends were(and still are) overweight/obese. Even though I was overweight myself, because I'm taller, I didn't look like I was overweight and thus didn't really see it as a problem until I graduated college and got home.

Now that I've lost the weight, all of my college friends are jealous and almost angry at me that I did this.. like I want to be better then them and rub it in their face that I can lose weight while they can't. Which is silly, because I look and feel so much better at the weight I'm at right now. So why would I want to stay overweight and unhappy, when I can be a decent weight and happy?

ronda_gettinghealthy

I know that this article is probably using bmi and scale wts too, but the actual article is not referencing any number per se, but looking at the overall ---how shall we say---butt size and gut size of america.....I know that there are always people who will fall off the ends of normal based on any numerical scale... dont get off on a numbers lie trend...this is a very general and I believe a more true than not observation

ronda_gettinghealthy

That article speaks to "weight" as a number. Everyone I speak to that is working toward being healthy, and this site as well, honor each person's individual comfort zone. Weight charts are for an average person... and they cannot take into consideration a person's stature (frame size). I'm not disputing that this country has a weight problem, not at all. I just think that because someone is comfortable at a weight that MAY NOT be the weight she is supposed to be based on a chart is NOT a bad thing.

this article is speaking of a general observation...no reference to numbers were made simply that America is getting heavier and how society is in a round about way condoning it....

ronda_gettinghealthy

One trend that I don't understand is the "big and beautiful." Yes, you can be beautiful at any weight, but I've seen lots of ads for tv shows and what not that seem to promote being overweight and obese. What about being healthy and beautiful?

I believe you too can be beautiful what ever your size but I agree healthy and beautiful is better....

ronda_gettinghealthy

That article speaks to "weight" as a number. Everyone I speak to that is working toward being healthy, and this site as well, honor each person's individual comfort zone. Weight charts are for an average person... and they cannot take into consideration a person's stature (frame size). I'm not disputing that this country has a weight problem, not at all. I just think that because someone is comfortable at a weight that MAY NOT be the weight she is supposed to be based on a chart is NOT a bad thing.

unfortunately as the article pointed out...some peoples comfort zone is morbid obesity...

juliapurpletoes

Thanks for this great article! It is high time that this train of thought and research get out and read and understood properly. The article in no way talks charts and numbers, it simply says a large portion of Americans are comfortable being fat and unhealthy.......it is sad and very true.

I see it all the time, even within my own family. My obese mother at age 78 was told by her Dr. to not worry about it anymore (she's been obese for 50 years and prefers to just eat what tastes and feels good)! Shocking!!

And, personally I am very tired of being accused of "too skinny" when I am healthy, strong and in shape. As if I am doing something wrong!! - public opinion and fear amazes me.

It is a mistake and a cop out to stay at an unhealthy weight because one may disagree with how norms are developed. "Comfort Zones" and such talk.

Self Respect and Integrity require that a person pull themselves up by their boot straps and get on with the task of healthy living which does not include complacency.

cowlover22

wow I didnt get that message. Maybe it would have helped with my eating disorder lol. I think instead of focusing so much on what someone weighs we should focus on healthy eating. Dont put so much into pant size and charts. Some people even though they eat healthy and exercise will never be where they SHOULD be because of differents things..medicines, herreditary and so forth. All it took was someone to tell me I could run faster and jump higher if I didnt have so much weight..that was 25 plus years ago. I think we need to strive to be healthy..not fat vs skinny! Just my thought!