one differece between thin people and overweight people

I agree in part about the food thing. I don't actually know anyone who stuffs their face without enjoying it, but I am aware they exist. I know thin people who love food, but I also know thin people who just couldn't care less about food so they don't bother to eat unless they are genuinely hungry.


I totally disagree about weighing, though. I come from a family of thin people, and the only person who owns scales is my mother. I would say in my experience the exact opposite is true. Larger people obsess about their weight. Thin people often don't care or notice.

The part about weighing regularly is just making the point that healthy people are aware of their weight. I know there are thin people out there who don't weigh themselves all the time. Being thin dosn't always mean you are healthy. It was just something I read and thought it interesting.

Don't you think heavier people are generally more aware of their weight than thin people, though? I think a lot of thin people just don't think or care about it. It isn't an issue. It only becomes an issue when you are heavier/bigger.

You very seldom see slim people consume "diet" food and drinks.

The part about weighing regularly is just making the point that healthy people are aware of their weight. I know there are thin people out there who don't weigh themselves all the time. Being thin dosn't always mean you are healthy. It was just something I read and thought it interesting.

Don't you think heavier people are generally more aware of their weight than thin people, though? I think a lot of thin people just don't think or care about it. It isn't an issue. It only becomes an issue when you are heavier/bigger.

Thinking about it, I would generally say it's the people I know that are slightly overweight that seem to obsess the most. Those who find being thin to come naturally don't seem to worry about it most of the time, and those who are obese are definitely not stepping on the scale regularly or worrying about their weight or size on a regular basis. For many years the only time I got on a scale was at my annual doctors visit. I knew I was obese but wasn't ready to do anything about it.

I definitely notice that I enjoy making my food now, I make it look prettier and enjoy eating it more. Some of that is because you get a little obsessed about eating and foods at the beginning, but some of it seems that now I really do enjoy looking at a nice meal and tasting the difference now. It's like my taste buds woke up! Before, I would have just eaten something and not thought it through or appreciated it nearly as much.

The part about weighing regularly is just making the point that healthy people are aware of their weight. I know there are thin people out there who don't weigh themselves all the time. Being thin dosn't always mean you are healthy. It was just something I read and thought it interesting.

Don't you think heavier people are generally more aware of their weight than thin people, though? I think a lot of thin people just don't think or care about it. It isn't an issue. It only becomes an issue when you are heavier/bigger.

I can honestly say that I believe there are a lot more fat people in denial than skinny people in denial! And a lot more heavy people I know think that they are way lighter than they are than skinny people who think they are heavier... body dismorphia is a tough thing and it affects all types of people.

I have been doing research for a personal trainer and have read much interesting (and of course, conflicting) information from the various research studies. But....an important thing to keep in mind too, is that there is a difference between people who have always been thin and people who have achieved (and maintained) weight loss.
There is a National Weight control registry that tracks more than 5000 people who have lost and MAINTAINED a weight loss over a significant period of time. There are some interesting general takeaways from their research and surveys.

* 80% of persons in the registry are women and 20% are men.
* The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
* Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.
* These averages, however, hide a lot of diversity:

o Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
o Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
o Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.

* We have also started to learn about how the weight loss was accomplished: 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.

* 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
* 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
* There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.


78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.


Back to me............people who have been thin their whole lives have no particular *need* to weigh themselves regularly because they've not had to worry about it, while people who have lost weight are always concerned that the weight will come back, and we all know how easily 1 pound turns into 3. ;-)

The part about weighing regularly is just making the point that healthy people are aware of their weight. I know there are thin people out there who don't weigh themselves all the time. Being thin dosn't always mean you are healthy. It was just something I read and thought it interesting.

Don't you think heavier people are generally more aware of their weight than thin people, though? I think a lot of thin people just don't think or care about it. It isn't an issue. It only becomes an issue when you are heavier/bigger.

Thinking about it, I would generally say it's the people I know that are slightly overweight that seem to obsess the most. Those who find being thin to come naturally don't seem to worry about it most of the time, and those who are obese are definitely not stepping on the scale regularly or worrying about their weight or size on a regular basis. For many years the only time I got on a scale was at my annual doctors visit. I knew I was obese but wasn't ready to do anything about it.

That is probably true. I don't know anyone obese in real life, though I know quite a few who are probably slightly overweight, and they are the ones who are always on a diet.

I think when she said "diet food" she meant like 100 calorie packs or diet soda or healthy choice etc. Things marketed as "diet food" not you know real live food that is good for you.

That's the one, pre-packaged diet foods and diet sodas that are just fast food but tinier and in some cases as full of undesirable ingredients.

I agree with Torregro. There is a difference between folks who are naturally thin and always have been, and people who have dieted their way to slim or even had surgery. Formerly overweight people are always conscious of food and weight, knowing that pounds can creep on quickly and that they're not easy to lose. People who have always been thin are not likely to be thinking about weight or food very frequently, at least not in the same ways.

Someone once said that the difference between overweight people and thin people is that, for thin people, hunger is not an emergency. Thin people may be hungry at 4pm, but they don't panic because they know dinner is at 5 or 6pm. Overweight people tend to fill that void and not want to be hungry. Even when we're dieting, the diet experts stress that people trying to lose weight should try not to get hungry--to try eating healthy snacks throughout the day to keep one's metabolism up and to keep hunger at bay so that you don't fill the void with foods that aren't the best. It's an interesting concept. I'm not sure I agree 100%, but it makes sense on some level.