how do people react to being overweight in your country?

Jamaican men loves them some thick women. They want the curves. big butts and hips are assets here :-p

Jamaican women dont care for thick men... well i dont anyway. dont need the muscles, but we dont need the big bellies and so on.

this thread is a joke, correct?

In the U.S. it is looked down upon but widely common. When I was in Okinawa the Okinawans' weren't AS obsessed with dieting but they still did it, they weren't AS thin as the girls I saw in Beijing, South Korea and mainland Japan. I always felt like I was massive over there even when i was at my thinnest. Now that I am quite big I am appalled by the idea of going back for fear of the reactions.

although I'm very interested in reading these posts, I just wanted to say i LOVE your nyan cat ticker

Everyone in the US is fat.

Pretty much this. Being overweight is honestly the norm.

I disagree- though perhaps it depends on what PART of the US you're in. I live in the Northeast, and although there's certainly an obseity problem, statistics tell me that we're not nearly as bad off as, say, Mississippi (sorry Mississippians, I know that's not the case for all of you!). I do see a lot of CHUBBY people around my community, but few morbidly obese. Yes, they're there, but there's no way they're the norm.

Plus, those who ARE chubbier don't especially like it, I'd imagine, and in general are trying to get smaller... or at least wishing...

Side note- in high school almost everyone was thin. Or at least not obese. There were few "fat" people- I think the social pressure was too much to (sorry for the phrase) let themselves go. After high school though, plenty of girls I run into that had killer bodies are now chubbier than myself. Drastically different from the way they were, but not necessarily "obese."

Everyone in the US is fat.

Pretty much this. Being overweight is honestly the norm.

Honestly, i cannot imagine living in such a country.

I am not sure if "norm" is the word I would use. Being overweight is common, and I think over half the population is at least overweight. However, there is still a stigma attached to being overweight or obese, so I wouldn't consider it to be generally accepted.

I have been overweight or slightly obese (BMI of 31) most of my life, and have rarely been made fun of for my size, though it had been pointed out to me before. I live in Michigan for general reference.

I agree with this. Although about half of the adult population is overweight or obese, it is not accepted. Having started with a BMI of 56 though, I would have to say that I was made fun of numerous times over the years for my size. I'm in southern Illinois.

The obese population in the US has soared to a humongous proportion... it's quite sad and really a terrible epidemic that needs remedied. On the other hand, being super skinny isn't healthy either. I look back on former icons, such as Marilyn Monroe, and she had a healthy body with curves in all the right places. My husband and I were watching MASH last night, and I noticed the nice body that Loretta Swit has... she's fit, but not disgustingly skinny. It seems the US goes to the extreme... most people are either obese or stick thin. Whatever happened to it being acceptable to be healthy fit like these women were? Very sexy with nice slim bodies... but with actual hips. Hollywood is now filled with bone thin women who are 98lbs and just nasty looking. If you're 5' tall, 98 lbs is ok.. but not if you're 5'10. It's sad really.

this thread is a joke, correct?

Unfortunately its not

I'm in Dundee, Scotland. Here, most people are overweight. The latest trend appears to be letting the bottom inches of your belly hang out of your shirt to catch a sun tan. I think the UK has a problem with growing obesity rates. I was studying NHS figures at uni before the summer started and a good chunk of funds go towards surgery for people who have weight-related issues.

They are anorexic in China because they can't afford food, not because of fashion trends. The general populace is not healthy.

I read an article once, though I can't recall where, that talked about this issue. Even though they may seem rich, it's all outward appearance and the people who seem high society will starve themselves to keep status objects like nice cars, electronics and stuff to show off. Wasn't there a girl that nearly starved to death about 6 or 7 years ago trying to save money to pay for a fancy phone?

People staring never bothered me.. unless I was singing while I was driving and they couldn't hear the song. Then I assume I look like a howler monkey in heat. ((

There is a love hate relationship with people being overweight in this country.... I just love to judge people that are, yet we love to enable them as well...

Wait, I should include myself in this statement as well.

I live in Oklahoma - right in the middle of the Bible Belt - and eating is practically it's own sport here. Obesity is not out of the ordinary in the least, but I wouldn't say it's acceptable. I'm in my mid-twenties, and I already have many friends whose parents have had strokes and/or heart attacks. Very sad.

PS- I'm SO not looking to start a debate, but I saw this the other day and it gave me a chuckle due to lots of judgmental people full of excuses living here: "Oklahoma - where being gay is a choice, but being obese is "genetics".

I spent some time in rural Uganda and there, overweight women are in high demand (because being fat means you can afford to eat more). Me and another volunteer, who was a bit overweight, went to the school where we'd be teaching. The headmaster saw her and the first thing he said was: "Oh, you look so fat! You must be very strong, you'll be great for digging!"

Another time, he told me how there were no available fat women left in his village, so he had to walk 50 miles (80km) to the next district to find a suitable wife.

What can I say? I'm proud to be Uganda lol

I spent some time in rural Uganda and there, overweight women are in high demand (because being fat means you can afford to eat more). Me and another volunteer, who was a bit overweight, went to the school where we'd be teaching. The headmaster saw her and the first thing he said was: "Oh, you look so fat! You must be very strong, you'll be great for digging!"

Another time, he told me how there were no available fat women left in his village, so he had to walk 50 miles (80km) to the next district to find a suitable wife.

What can I say? I'm proud to be Uganda lol

Where are you from? I was in the Kanungu district, in the south

The phrases "I'm a real women I have CURVES" and "I'm proud to be a big girl" is something I hear often....I usually would love to response with "no you're not you're obese, the curves will stay if you are truly curvy even when you get healthy" and "are you also proud of your certain heart failure?"

I hate the acceptance and almost pride in being overweight over here. Especially when I'm trying so hard to distance myself from being in that category.

I'm not so sure it is acceptance and pride. I would say they are hiding their true feelings behind false pride. I don't know one overweight person (I'm in Texas) who wouldn't love to lose the weight... they just think its too hard to give up the social eating or comfort eating when they are feeling bored or depressed. I have family members and friends that are VERY overweight and have health issues because of it. They want to be healthy and participate in sports and games like they did when they were in high school, but don't have the willpower to make the commitment necessary. They will say things like they are just "curvy" or that the average woman is a size 16 so its no big deal... but they know its a cop out. For heaven's sake, they can barely move!! It's just easier to reach for the mac n cheese and watch TV than to get on a treadmill or head out the door for a long walk. It's a shame. I've told them all about MFP but when they hear they have to count calories and log in they tune me out. To much trouble and accountability, so they would rather go from one fad diet to the other for a few days and then back to whatever they were doing before so they can say they "tried." My Asian friends are all smaller but much smaller frames so I don't try and compete with them. I think my "mutt" genes give me a better shape and much better legs so its a trade-off. ; )