Overweight is the New Normal Weight

truer words were never spoken

I was just thinking about the reality of this when I watched a couple movies from the late 70s/early 80s over the weekend. Everyone was SO THIN! Sure, they were movies, so I am not saying that was reality, but they all seemed thin even for being movie stars! I'm guessing it might be because (with a few exceptions) even our movie stars/celebrities are slightly larger than before (not that they are typically overweight, but just a few pounds more than a couple decades ago).

Good thing I am starting to hangout with my sisters that are model thin.

Thanks for the article.



PS. OMG! YOU LOOK AMAZING! CONGRATS IN YOUR LIFE CHANGE!!

not so sure i agree with this article....at least not their reasons for why there is a growing trend. I, personally, feel like I stick out like a sore thumb whereever I go. I am usually the fattest person in a room.....And I am not freaky huge (230 which is scary but I am saying in comparison to 300+ which I used to be....geez hope i am not offending anyone). Anyways, most of my friends are thin, and they arent gaining cause of me.....

I think the issue is this.....what used to be considered chubby is now fat and what used to be considered fat is now obese, and what used to be obese is now considered morbidly obese. so if our standards have changed then, yes, all these little muffin tops running around dont consider themselves fat or obese since that wasnt the standard. I think america is still obsessed with beauty and still finds chubby, fat, overweight, obese people gross and this is just another example as how to ostrasize (sp?) us.

If I am going to take the blame for my weight AND my friends weight then where do we draw the line? I am in debt cause my friends are....I am on welfare for life cause my friends are....I have stds cause my friends do....I mean really, self accountability applies not only to me, the fat person, but also to my skinny friends, even if they end up fat. Which is funny cause I am gonna end up thin because I took accountability for my choices

I love a good article like this! thanks for posting

I think this article is right on. I'm excellent at convincing myself that I don't need to lose weight. At 165lbs and 5'2.5" (small frame) I thought I was chubby until I really looked at pictures and really started feeling the health effects of my weight.

Now that I've lost some weight I've noticed too that clothing sizes have changed. I have size 4's from a decade ago that I'm just now squeezing into but I've been a size 4 for months in new clothing. Everything stretches now, I often think we could really help along healthy eating and fitness if we just mandated non-stretch waist bands As much as I love my yoga pants!

Even on MFP I see people who post that they like being plus-sized etc. I think everyone has a right to look how they want but the health effects are real. I wonder how much of the "health care crisis" we could fix if everyone ate some produce and went for a nice long walk everyday. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, so much could be fixed with some veggies and a good walk.

I say this as someone who spent years not managing to do just that, but I wish I could share what I've found.

And we demand bigger seats on the planes!

I'm starting to get some of the same responses. I have 60 lbs to go for my goal but having lost so much weight, friends and family say things like, "you don't look like you have 60 more to lose", etc. I look around at work, church, even the gym and so many are justifying being "larger" as the norm. My goal weight is very reasonable, not over the top and not unreachable. Yet many people are expressing their thoughts that it is too much and I won't be able to maintain that low of weight etc. Baloney! When I reach my goal, my body will level out as I transition from weightloss to a healthy normal. I've made a lifestyle change and I'm not on a "diet".

America is scary! Everything is in the extreme and everyone wants instant results. We didn't get this way overnight and we won't change it overnight.

Keep it up everyone!!!!

I totally agree. Now that I'm at a healthy weight, I am so tired of the the negative comments about me looking sick.

"Research 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."

Socially contageous...social circles... - I find this statement to be a bit broad. Were the looking at all demographics here? Sex of the poeple in the study, income, where they lived, etc.


However, I do agree that it may be slowly becoming the "social norm" because so many Americans go for quick rather than quality when it comes to food, exercise. etc. And that does reach across the demographic board, its not just people with little money who have to buy processed foods in order to keep their family's eating, its people of higher incomes too, all areas of the country.