Overweight... The new normal !

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Kim55555
Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I went to my nieces school concert the other night and my mum commented about this lady who she referred to as a stick figure. I'm in my early 40's and I noticed that pretty much 80% of the over 30's mums there were either overweight or morbidly obese.

Then at the end of the night when it was dark and we were getting into our car that's when mum referred to this lady who was in the year above me 25 years ago as a stick figure. I said to mum I didn't see her that way, I viewed her as hot and that I think overweight is the new norm now. If you see someone is fit and lean it is out of the norm in my community and therefore looks really out of place. They probably think we are lucky to be thin and have good genetics. If they only knew what dedication goes into it.

I find it quite interesting and it could have something to do with people not being active in taking care of their health/weight because they see it's the norm these days and ok. Lots let themselves go. I'm glad I turned my life around again 3 years ago and lost the weight. I'm so healthy and fit now. People often ask me what's the secret. I tell them a lot of hard work tracking what I eat and vigorous exercise. I'm really enjoying the attention now. In the last few weeks I have had 3 people feel my arm muscles! :D. It's a great boost to my ego and gives me even more motivation to push even harder in the gym and when I train!
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Replies

  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
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    That's really sad. :/
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    I remember a cartoon movie a few years ago called "WALL-E." The future people were so fat they had to ride around on vehicles to get around. That was 2008. I took that as a serious sign as to what we're becoming. Not just a laugh fest at the movies.
  • mjhedgehog
    mjhedgehog Posts: 249 Member
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    my mom does the same thing. she points out people she thinks are "sticks" and makes nasty comments when they're just healthy/normal. :ohwell:

    and about the whole "overweight is the new normal thing". I work in retail and we have a women's department, a juniors department, and a plus size department. I had someone who insisted that our plus size was "womens" and our womens department is "juniors". and she got super angry at me for getting confused when trying to help her find something. :huh:

    and congrats on your success! :drinker:
  • DreamersWifey
    DreamersWifey Posts: 181 Member
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    I agree!!!
    People tell me skinny and I'm really not lol
    but lots of moms let them selfs go
  • GingerRunner
    GingerRunner Posts: 69
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    I went to my nieces school concert the other night and my mum commented about this lady who she referred to as a stick figure. I'm in my early 40's and I noticed that pretty much 80% of the over 30's mums there were either overweight or morbidly obese.

    Then at the end of the night when it was dark and we were getting into our car that's when mum referred to this lady who was in the year above me 25 years ago as a stick figure. I said to mum I didn't see her that way, I viewed her as hot and that I think overweight is the new norm now. If you see someone is fit and lean it is out of the norm in my community and therefore looks really out of place. They probably think we are lucky to be thin and have good genetics. If they only knew what dedication goes into it.

    I find it quite interesting and it could have something to do with people not being active in taking care of their health/weight because they see it's the norm these days and ok. Lots let themselves go. I'm glad I turned my life around again 3 years ago and lost the weight. I'm so healthy and fit now. People often ask me what's the secret. I tell them a lot of hard work tracking what I eat and vigorous exercise. I'm really enjoying the attention now. In the last few weeks I have had 3 people feel my arm muscles! :D. It's a great boost to my ego and gives me even more motivation to push even harder in the gym and when I train!

    Ok, now I want to feel your arms! :D
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    That's really sad. :/
    Yep. And its also very alarming.
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
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    When I've browsed dating profiles on the internet I have noticed this as well. People who describe themselves as "average" body type appear about 20-30 lbs over weight
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
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    I totally agree. I also think a lot of overweight people do not realise they have a problem and therefore assume people smaller than them do. There is a lot of denial today, which is also becoming the norm. I too was one of these people, I wasn't that fat so I must be okay - wrong.
  • 165ordietrying
    165ordietrying Posts: 31 Member
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    I think this is so true. I am at the very top of the healthy BMI range and would be happy to weigh 8-9 lbs less and people are telling me I'm so small when in all reality if I were to gain two pounds I'd be overweight but like everyone is saying, when 20-30 lbs overweight is what you are used to seeing everywhere, a person at a healthy weight looks abnormal.
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
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    I think it is scary, too. People really are much larger now than they used to be. But on happy note, it is working for me! For the FIRST TIME since I was 4 years old, I can buy almost all of my clothes in a "normal" size women's department. :D When I was in high school, in the 80s, I wore a size 14/16... and it was about the size of a size 10 today. BUT size 14/16 was mostly found in plus size stores. I could find a few things at regular stores, but the clothes that size almost all looked like things my grandmother would wear. Now I can actually find things that look way too young for me (granted I'm a lot older now) in sizes that are too big! It feels a bit like a hollow victory to be able to find clothes in every store I walk into when I know that I'm still 55 pounds more than I was the last time I was in the size... AND they didn't have my size in every store back then. But it still makes me happy. :D

    I actually feel like I look like a normal sized person for the first time in my adult or teen life, but I still have a long way to go.
  • n2thenight24
    n2thenight24 Posts: 1,651 Member
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    I can see that. I didn't know I was fat until someone told me, lol. It's definitely the new norm, which makes us less inclined to notice until you go to the doctor or something and they inform you.
  • horseplaypen
    horseplaypen Posts: 442 Member
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    This makes me think of Pinterest... people post fitspiration photos and you have all these people commenting on them saying, "give that girl a sandwich" or "she's anorexic, that is NOT healthy!" or "that is not what a real woman looks like!"

    And I'm not talking about like, Kate Moss thinspiration photos... I mean photos of strong women with well-defined muscles that I don't think you could get unless you were eating a good amount of food. That site makes me crazy sometimes.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
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    Our pediatrician mentioned this to us a few years back when we were discussing our older kid's weight. She was on the very low end of the weight scale and we were concerned. His response was basically, look, your kid is fine, its the percentages that are really out of whack; and the real problem is convincing parents that their kids (and they themselves) are overweight. People are so accustomed to seeing so many overweight children that they have forgotten what kids looked like 20, 30 and 40 years ago. The worst part about it is the extreme anger from people when their doctors tell them they, or their kids, are overweight or obese.

    Its like any other problem people have, addiction or otherwise - admitting you have a problem is the first and often hardest step.
  • sylviatx
    sylviatx Posts: 156 Member
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    I have noticed that anymore the only place I really see a majority of normal, healthy weight people is when I go to the gym. Everyplace else the average is really heavy. I think that's part of why I let myself get up to 196 in the first place, compared to other old ladies, I wasn't "so bad".
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
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    When I've browsed dating profiles on the internet I have noticed this as well. People who describe themselves as "average" body type appear about 20-30 lbs over weight

    The sad thing is, 20-30 pounds overweight IS actually "average" now. And I noticed the same thing when I was dating...
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    I think it depends on where you live. If you live in a community with a health culture, people are mostly fit, and being super fit looks like the norm. When I have traveled around though, I have felt a little awkward or out of place working out or looking for healthy food in a restaurant, or just being over 25 and not overweight.
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
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    I remember a cartoon movie a few years ago called "WALL-E." The future people were so fat they had to ride around on vehicles to get around. That was 2008. I took that as a serious sign as to what we're becoming. Not just a laugh fest at the movies.

    funny you mention that movie, 'WALL-E'........I found the movie somewhat depressing for the same reason, viewing morbidly obese, "moving" around in vehicles be normal - scary! Add to that the concept that humans made earth uninhabitable - not a happy outlook for a future..... A new normal?!?!?!?
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
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    I couldn't agree more! And people are always bashing the BMI scale as inaccurate but for the vast majority of the population it is accurate. I am 5'10" and BMI says I should be between 124-174. That is a 50lbs range to allow for various body types and muscle mass. I weighed 145lbs as a teen/young adult and my doctor felt that was underweight due to my body type (I was a pear and you could count my ribs). He felt I needed to put on 15-20lbs. So 160-165lbs for my body type. I'm aiming for 170lbs now (I am more hourglass shaped now). I still think BMI is a good guideline if you aren't a bodybuilder or a pro athlete. I'm 195lbs now and everyone goes on about how thin I am and I shouldn't lose more... at 195lbs!! I've still got fat in places it shouldn't be but the new norm makes everyone see me as skinny when I'm still 21lbs overweight.
  • SToast
    SToast Posts: 255 Member
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    It's sad for sure. I have seen it in my own family. This is not to be rude but for an example: On DHs side of the family most of them are overweight. Since I started using MFP and changing my relationship with food, working out on a regular basis, and trying to get more fit and healthy his family has all been making comments at me. We get together every Friday for all the young kids to play together and each week someone different brings dinner. I always eat in moderation and skip the cookies, cake, or ice cream at the end. That always gets them started in on me and my "diet". And "just have a little it's not going to kill you" or "you're making us feel guilty for eating this or that". It's not me making them feel bad for eating it. I don't say "hey fatty, do you know how many calories that has?" I just say "no thanks".

    So many people, women for sure, make rude comments when they are jealous or feeling bad about themselves. When I see a woman with a bangin' body I use it as motivation to keep going on my goals. It's sad that instead of bettering themselves people would rather tear others down. I guess it's easier than getting off the couch.

    Off my soap box now :)
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
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    This all started when it became "illegal" to tell a girl she had gained weight.

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