25% of Americans obese?

[jld]

Is this true? I just read a blog entry on this, and didn't realize the numbers were so high.

 

I'm not living in America right now, so I can't do an informal survey on my own, if ykwim.

 

Would you say these numbers are accurate, based on your community?

[LauraGB]

I thought it was higher...

 

Possibly my thought was for "over weight", not obese.

[Nicole M]

I thought it was higher...

 

Possibly my thought was for "over weight", not obese.

 

How is obese defined? Based on my everyday observations, not on real data, I would say that the vast majority of Americans are overweight and that a fairly high number are obese.

[Snickerdoodle]

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State

[m0mmaBuck]

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State

 

Our doctor told us that 50lbs overweight OR BMI greater than 30 was considered obese. I'd say that the 25% estimate for Americans is on the low side.

[LauraGB]

How is obese defined? Based on my everyday observations, not on real data, I would say that the vast majority of Americans are overweight and that a fairly high number are obese.

 

I think the insurance companies consider it "obese" at 50lbs over what is statistically right for height.

 

Actually, I just googled and the American Heart Assoc. considers 30lbs over weight to be obese, if I'm reading correctly. Hmmm...much lower than I originally thought. What a nasty tag "obese" is.

 

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4639

[jld]

" . . on the low side"? I don't mean to be dramatic, but I nearly shouted "What?" at my computer!

 

Wow! I really didn't realize the figures were so high, but I guess I'm just not paying attention.

 

I do remember my dd pointing out to me once that most of my closest friends are probably obese (bmi of 30 or greater, it seems to her).

 

To be honest, I just never thought of it that way. I don't really think about their weight, kwim? I just like them as people.

[Snickerdoodle]

To be honest, I just never thought of it that way.

 

 

I don't understand what this means.

[jld]

I never thought about my friends in terms of their weight. I just think of them as my friends.

[m0mmaBuck]

" . . on the low side"? I don't mean to be dramatic, but I nearly shouted "What?" at my computer!

 

Wow! I really didn't realize the figures were so high, but I guess I'm just not paying attention.

 

I do remember my dd pointing out to me once that most of my closest friends are probably obese (bmi of 30 or greater, it seems to her).

 

To be honest, I just never thought of it that way. I don't really think about their weight, kwim? I just like them as people.

 

Within my own house there is one person (DSS), two (DH) if you go by the 30 lb definition, that would be considered obese. So within my own house the rate is 40%. Additionally, my inlaws are both obese by either definition. My side of the family is slim and I hope my 2 kids got my genes.

[jld]

Snickerdoodle, thank for linking that obesity website. I see my state has jumped a category in the last 20 years.

 

Do you think that's part of it? People have gotten heavier, but slowly, so that over 20 years we have just gotten used to it, and don't notice it so much?

[Pata]

I would say it's higher than that. When we go back to the states after having been overseas for awhile it's always a shock to see how overweight Americans are. (and to see how many selections of shampoo, cereal and crackers there are, i could so go for a box of Wheat Thins right now! :))

 

Paige (who was formally statistically obese)

[Snickerdoodle]

if you go by the 30 lb definition,

 

I think the correct definition is a BMI of 30 not being 30 lbs overweight.

[m0mmaBuck]

I think the correct definition is a BMI of 30 not being 30 lbs overweight.

 

Well, I like the sound of that better. Still leaves my house at 20% though. :(

[Pata]

Do you think that's part of it? People have gotten heavier, but slowly, so that over 20 years we have just gotten used to it, and don't notice it so much?

 

I would definately say that's it, the weight just kinda creeps up on you. 5 years ago when my doctor told me that I was considered obese I was shocked because I didn't think I was that overweight, but my BMI was 32.5. I've since lost it and feel soooooo much better. Of, course now I'm having to gain weight with my pregnancy, but it's for a good cause :) and I can always lose it again.

[jld]

Paige, could you elaborate on how you feel better? Physically, I'm guessing, but in other ways, too?

 

The blog I was on was all about how obese people watch out for things that non-obese people don't think about, like the size of chairs or strength of couches, or whether there are only booths available in a restaurant. The writer was trying to encourage people to be more thoughtful with their obese friends and relatives, and help them to be more comfortable. I think a lot of people, myself included, are just clueless that way. We love our friends, and don't think about their weight, or how it may be a physical challenge.

[joannqn]

Do you think that's part of it? People have gotten heavier, but slowly, so that over 20 years we have just gotten used to it, and don't notice it so much?

 

I think we've just gotten used to it.

 

I am obese, and I think DH may be. He won't tell me his weight. He joined a gym located in the same shopping center as DS's taekwondo dojang. He works out while DS is in class. I don't have the luxury. I've been trying to find a few minutes a day to use the Wii but so far I'm far too busy to fit it in. Some days, I can't even get a shower in. I hate it.

[Tap]

I do believe it is true but I also wonder about whether the 'charts' are really realistic for everyone, just like children's growth charts are an average.

 

Dh is 6' and weighs 185. He wears a 32/34 in pants. I would never consider him overweight. No rail thin, but not overweight. Due to his BMI, he is considered overweight. We eat well and he is an active person.

 

I am 5'8' and 130lbs so it isn't that my own health picture is changing how I view him.

[cathmom]

I think that the problem is with the word obese. "Obese" to my mind calls up somebody who is really, really fat. Like how you would picture the fat lady at the circus. According to the weight definition and the BMI, I am obese. My Wii Fit Plus tells me that every time I get on. And, yes, I am overweight. I hate it. But I don't think people who see me on the street would think, "There goes an obese person."

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm obese according to the numbers but if I say it out loud, my friends loudly protest it. I think it is because we are used to using the word in everyday language to mean people who are medically called morbidly obese. I have health problems that make it hard for me to exercise and hard for me to lose weight even when I do.

[Cammie]

I would say it's higher than that. When we go back to the states after having been overseas for awhile it's always a shock to see how overweight Americans are. (and to see how many selections of shampoo, cereal and crackers there are, i could so go for a box of Wheat Thins right now! :))

 

Paige (who was formally statistically obese)

 

:iagree:

 

On the rare occassions we go home, it really is shocking! I think living in the US people get blind to it (or have nothing to compare it to.) Walking in a mall in the US is a study in the weight problems facing the country.

 

(I also could go for some wheat thins - why can't we get decent crackers here either??)

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I think the insurance companies consider it "obese" at 50lbs over what is statistically right for height.

 

Actually, I just googled and the American Heart Assoc. considers 30lbs over weight to be obese, if I'm reading correctly. Hmmm...much lower than I originally thought. What a nasty tag "obese" is.

 

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4639

 

My dh just had a physical, and the young new doctor told him he was obese. And my dh is not obese. He has gained some weight in his mid-section, but he swims over a mile 3x week. He is just stocky and muscular. I think it was rather obtuse of the Dr. to use that label.

[Pata]

Cammie, all the crackers we can get are sweet, which is so disappointing when you have a craving for salty food! How hard is it to make a salty cracker? I don't understand it, but I digress...

 

jld, yes, physically is the most noticable difference, I have alot more energy, well maybe not right now as I'm 6 1/2 weeks away from having this little guy :). Also, I feel better emotionally, clothes fit and I don't hate to go shopping or to take my dd swimming. It wasn't easy, but it was worth the effort for me.

[jld]

Congratulations on your coming little one and on your weight loss, Paige. You have a lot to be proud of. I'm sure you have inspired many people!:)

[Laura Corin]

:iagree:

 

On the rare occasions we go home, it really is shocking!

 

I remember sitting in the bus station at Gatwick Airport near London a couple of years ago and marvelling at how big people were.

 

Laura

[knit247]

I think that the problem is with the word obese. "Obese" to my mind calls up somebody who is really, really fat....I don't think people who see me on the street would think, "There goes an obese person."

 

I am in total agreement. I am obese - BMI 31.8. But...no one I know would think "obese" when they look at me (at least I hope, LOL). I am definitely overweight. I wear a sz 16. When I tell people what I weigh (205 lbs and 5'8") they are shocked :eek: I look like I could stand to loose "a few" - I know that - but I don't think of myself as obese. FWIW I just joined WW Online and am down 4 lbs :D

 

As for obesity in the US, I think it is higher than 25%. When we moved to Germany last summer I was amazed at the lack of heavy people here. It seems that the vast majority of people - old and young alike - are not only much thinner than in the US, but also more fit. It's amazing to me to see elderly men and women riding their bikes everywhere with their little market baskets. We have hills here - big hills - and people just ride their bikes straight up those hills like it's nothing! And the muscles on the little old ladies' arms - amazing! I have to drive almost half an hour to find any fast food - military base's food court excluded ;) - here. It's simply a different mentality.

[Carrie12345]

Well, if they're using BMI numbers to define obese, that isn't really fair. Muscular people have a distorted BMI.

 

I've had a 30 BMI right after having a few of my babies, and I can honestly tell you that even an additional 30 pounds would not have affected my air plane seating status or whatever. It *would have been a real health issue though.

 

When I look around my community and think about the people I know, the vast majority are overweight (including myself, by 20lbs). I don't see many of them as obese but, using BMI, yeah, probably around 25-30% are. I would say about 5-10% of the people I see are what my mind processes as "obese".

 

In my 15 years of adulthood, I think I may have spent 3 years at a "healthy" weight (officially and/or by my own comfort level), yet I get many comments about how chasing these kids around must be what keeps me thin. Perceptions are definitely skewed!

[Night Elf]

I heard it stated that more than half of Americans are overweight. But the numbers and information get confused in my mind because I watch the medical shows that focus on obesity. I also watch the Biggest Loser but I don't consider that a medical show.

 

I don't know about other countries, but the US is being made aware of increasing obesity rates. A big push that I see right now is about overweight children because it's easier to stay overweight as the child grows up and the chance that the person will become obese is much greater. I think Michelle Obama is backing a childhood obesity campaign.

 

I started noticing many overweight children when my pediatrician warned us about dd12's overweight status. I didn't see my daughter as being overweight even when she couldn't fit in the girl's clothing sizes anymore. But when I saw the number on the scale, I was quite surprised.

 

Allie wanted to join Weight Watchers with me, but the doctor was flat out adamant that children should not be put on a diet. She said that the medical field believes diets in kids lead to higher incidents of eating disorders. She was insistent that instead of losing weight, my daughter should maintain it and her body will grow into it. We got the same 'normal' advice you hear from everywhere: eat better, exercise more, sleep enough hours, drink enough water.

 

I argued that Weight Watchers isn't a diet and while the doctor agreed with me, she still wouldn't sign the permission form that WW requires for children. I've lost 21 lbs. so far with WW in 5 months. Allie has made some changes as well but has gained a few pounds since she saw the pediatrician. So if she maintains this weight, it's supposed to be fine for her as a teenager. Her self-esteem is definitely affected, but when she actually tries to monitor her eating, she becomes very stressed and I can see why the doctor said children/teens can easily get eating disorders. It's heart-breaking really. She isn't a fast food eater. She likes chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a but hates french fries. She likes Subway sandwiches. She doesn't drink soda, but does drink juice and milk. The changes she's tried to make are drinking more water instead of juice, and eating more vegetables/fruit. But as I said, she's gained a few lbs. and she can only focus on that stupid number. :(

 

I know that using BMI isn't fair, but it's the easiest tool to use on a large population. Individuals can get a more accurate assessment having their body fat analyzed, so then it becomes a personal thing and not just a statistic. But isn't that way of alot of things? For example, it seems a given that southern homeschoolers are keeping their children home for religious reasons. I'm a southern homeschool and religion has no part in my decision. I'm just lumped in with that group, maybe because their voice is big? Whatever, I don't like it.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I would say at least 25% or not more (I would make a guess that here it is at least 35%) would fit under the "obese" category. Most are in denial, the rest don't care. BMI is more important than pounds. I live in an area of the country that is traditionally higher in the number of people considered obese. The number of people with diabetes is high, and it is increasing in younger people, meaning it is starting to show up at a younger age.

[Jenny in GA]

Snickerdoodle, thank for linking that obesity website. I see my state has jumped a category in the last 20 years.

 

Do you think that's part of it? People have gotten heavier, but slowly, so that over 20 years we have just gotten used to it, and don't notice it so much?

 

Yup.

 

I remember ... oh, I can't remember the name of it, but that PBS show where the families lived as if they were pioneers. One family actually broke the rules and took the dad/husband to the doctor because they were so concerned that he was losing so much weight. They thought for sure he was being dangerously malnourished on this "pioneer lifestyle diet."

 

Interestingly, the doctor said that he was very strong, lean, and healthy -- that, currently, he was exactly what he "should" be, and before the "pioneer living" he was simply too fat!

 

I thought that was really interesting. BTW, he not appear to be a "fat man" when the show started -- just "normal looking."

[Sue G in PA]

I think that number is low. I look around me at church, in the store, at the park, etc. and probably half of those people would be considered at least overweight. It is very sad. Here in America most people choke at the expression, "less is more"...especially when it comes to food. More is always better. Supersize this, giant this, double this, fast food restaurants on every corner, rushed and stressed life, processed foods, etc. People are in to convenience more than health. I say this but I include myself in this. But we are trying to eat more fresh foods and exercise more.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

As a healthcare professional, I would have thought the percentage of obese in the US was higher than 1 out of every 4. Obese people are definitely coming into the hospital in greater numbers than normal-weight people. Patients are getting bigger and bigger. Some (many) are too big to fit in regular hospital beds. Turning them and bathing them is incredibly difficult (esp in the ICU when they are unresponsive and can't help).

 

When we get an admit from the ER we always ask, "How big is s/he?" in order to prepare help to move the patient from the ER cart onto the bed. It is rare that we need fewer than 4-5 people to help move a patient.

 

Even someone who may not seem "obese" walking around sure does seem obese when they're lying down and I'm trying to scoot them over one way or the other (and I'm not a small woman - 5'9" and struggling to become not slightly overweight)

[EKS]

Absolutely.

[Parrothead]

I think the 25% is low for some areas. I've lived in a place that it seemed I, even being overweight, was one of the few thin people in town. Unfortunately, being thinner than a good 75% of the population, I thought I was doing okay. Then we moved, and I was shocked. In this town you see people moving all times of day and night. They are walking, running, biking.

 

So we are moving now. Keeping up with the Jones' and the Smiths and the Browns.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Allie wanted to join Weight Watchers with me, but the doctor was flat out adamant that children should not be put on a diet. She said that the medical field believes diets in kids lead to higher incidents of eating disorders. She was insistent that instead of losing weight, my daughter should maintain it and her body will grow into it. We got the same 'normal' advice you hear from everywhere: eat better, exercise more, sleep enough hours, drink enough water.

 

 

Just because your DD cannot attend meetings doesn't mean she cannot follow the WW principles. Obviously you are successful with the program so you know how to work it. Modify it for her, buy a scale and start her on the program. Her weigh in day can be the same as yours. Give her the weekly activity points and encourage her to meet that goal. Have her measure everything she eats. If she knows she will be eating pizza for dinner then encourage a healthier lunch that includes lots of low point veggies. If she will be going to a party and cake and ice cream are on the menu teach her how to plan for that by choosing lower point foods earlier in the day.

 

You can come up with your own little 'treats' - help her make a chart to use for bravo (star) stickers when she makes a good choice. If she does lose some weight (or simply maintains her weight for a period of time) then clap and applaud.

[Peela]

I have read that our generation or our kids' ( I cant remember which), will be the first generation for a long time to die at a younger age than their parents, mainly due to complications related to overweight/obesity. Australia's figures are similar to America's. Diabetes is rife. As a culture we are going to die from our consumption of dead, processed, chemical laden, poisoned food- too much food, not enough nutrition- our cells are starving. It will probably take a few generations to change - medical science still doesnt give enough credence to nutrition and sees more and more medication as the answer. But obesity is a symptom, diabetes is a symptom, even depression and other related illnesses that have skyrocketed in the last years- are symptoms, and not all the medication in the world is going to prevent them.

[Ester Maria]

The number is definitely higher.

 

I come from Italy and Italy is quite alarmed over how seriously obesity hit it in the past decades. Well, let me just say that they're alarmed over what's statistically a rather small percent of truly obese people, and a few more percents of somewhat overweight, and I never see that big people in Europe as I see them in the US. Yet, they're alarmed since they know very well what it can become in a matter of a few decades more, with the spreading of "American lifestyle" (in sense of eating more and more junk, working hours moving to 9-5, lesser people participating in amateur sports, etc.).

Also, the criteria are different. Somebody being 170 cm of height and weighting 75 kilograms, which results in the BMI of 26.0, would be warned by doctor already of their "weight issues", even if they themselves don't see any at that point yet, and encouraged to lose a few. In the US, I see people of the same numbers being classified as "normal weight", while in Italy BMI around 20 is "normal", and hitting 25 already puts you into the "overweight" group.

 

I don't think being panicky over "a few to lose" is a good idea, mentally I mean, for anyone, but I definitely think that if people started to wonder about their weight when their BMI approaches 25, and not when it goes over 30, it would be a lot better for all. What people here essentially miss are prevention techniques, it's a lot better to prevent something than to have to cure it later.

 

When I started to gain weight over all the yummy food in the US, in the first years upon our arrival here, I realized that that was the point of making some decisions, not letting it wait for when the same thing happens to kids, and ever since we don't really indulge ourselves when it comes to food and, spending lots of time in Italy, kids grew up realizing that what's going on in the US is not a normal state of things. I don't want them to be burdened with it, and constantly on watch (not that I need it anyway, the younger kid is perfectly normal and balanced in weight, and the older one slightly underweight), but I don't allow processed foods, everyday snacks and stuff like that. We're all normal to somewhat underweight in our family, no history of obesity, but it could have happened had we not taken care of how we live in the US, where it's a lot easier to fall into many traps and become overweight.

 

Being overweight is not only an aesthetical issue and, frankly speaking, I couldn't care less about aesthetics if people are truly healthy and feeling good, but it's so tied with so many health risks that it just isn't worth the risk to allow kids everything and cuddle yourself into thinking they're healthy because they're healthy now, when they're young and things are only starting to complicate.

Also, it's the issue of self-discipline and the power of will. It's hard to break the cycle once you're in it, and as somebody who was never really overweight, I can't even fathom what it must be like to have to make a cut for your own good, but really, do it if you have to. It's not about aesthetics, it's about your health, and it's about being an example to your kids.

[The Governess]

:iagree:

 

On the rare occassions we go home, it really is shocking! I think living in the US people get blind to it (or have nothing to compare it to.) Walking in a mall in the US is a study in the weight problems facing the country.

 

 

 

:iagree: Or walking around at Disney World.

[Jackie in NE]

Is this true? I just read a blog entry on this, and didn't realize the numbers were so high.

 

I'm not living in America right now, so I can't do an informal survey on my own, if ykwim.

 

Would you say these numbers are accurate, based on your community?

 

Yes, I believe this statistic. I also think it varies by region. Where I grew up in Northern California, I think the obesity rate might be in excess of 50%... really. This is a very poor region, where there is currently about 27% unemployment. People tend to sit around watching TV and drinking beer.

 

I would say that where our ranch is, in Northern Nebraska, the rate is probably 25-30%. It is a very small community. (No rec. center, biking, etc.) The men get plenty of physical activity with ranching, but the women tend to have to spend hours in the car, driving to work, etc. So the women have a somewhat sedentary lifestyle.

 

Then, where the dc and I spend most of our time in SE Wyoming, I would say the rate is closer to maybe 20%. This is a college town with lots of sports, a rec. center, and more of a focus on health.

 

So it's interesting to see how different communities reflect different lifestyles.

 

I also wonder if our current clothing styles contribute to "overweightedness" ?When did it become cool to show off the roll of fat around one's midsection??? :confused: Sorry, but YUCK.

[Night Elf]

Just because your DD cannot attend meetings doesn't mean she cannot follow the WW principles. Obviously you are successful with the program so you know how to work it.

 

But we did and she got so depressed. The WW leader gave me an informational sheet that showed the point system for children and dd12's points were definitely higher than an adult answering all the questions the same way. She was encouraged when she lost 2 lbs. the first week, but the next week she gained 1 lb. back. That is very discouraging for anyone. She started becoming hyperfocused on what she was eating and would often eat less points than I was given daily. She started thinking that the less she ate, the more weight she would lose.

 

The doctor's point was that restricting a child's food intake in order to diet can backfire and might be unhealthy in some situations. It only took a few weeks for me to see that happening to my daughter. I didn't want her to get used to restricting herself. I want her to learn to make better choices. Since then, she doesn't focus on losing, just not gaining alot. She does still weigh herself every few weeks or so.

[Jen500]

I have noticed that although my actual size hasn't changed much since high school, my clothing size has gone down a few sizes. What's up with that? :confused:

[CatMomof3]

I am overweight - 190lbs and 5'10, but I wear a size 12 (well I did a month ago, starting to get tight now :)). My husband is considered obese - 215 lbs and 5'8, but he wears 36" waist pants. My husband has always been stocky, when he was in the military they had to check for fat percentage instead of weight (he was always overweight, but his fat percentage was in the low teens, if not lower). When he got back from his last tour in Iraq his arms were bigger than his one year old dd. I am not saying that the country is NOT obese, we live in a lower income neighborhood of So Cal and everyone seems to be on the bigger side. But BMI can be misleading.

Oh the only time in my life when I was a "healthy" weight was when I 19 through 24, and I would go clubbing 5-6 times a week and dance for 4 hours a night, but I would not consider that lifestyle healthy.

[mirth]

Internationally, the US is in the top 10 of overweightness (BMI >= 25) http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat_2.html

 

25% seems about right. The CDC trend map would make it seem like the average is closer to 30%.

 

Food is cheap in the US, and drive-throughs are a funny artifact of having non-walkable communities. You just stick your hand out the car window and can get cash, burgers, coffee, your cleaned laundry, drugs. While I have never been to the other 9 countries ahead of the US, I kinda doubt there are drive-through anythings in Tonga or Nairu (or are there??) There, the islands are just so isolated. It is really tough to import fresh produce to these remote places so you have to rely on canned food. I am trying to express that the US and possibly Kuwait (as 2/10 of the top 10) do not share the same problems as the other 8/10 of the top 10.

 

I think the absence of obesity at the other end of the spectrum can easily be linked to the inavailability of food.

[Jean in Newcastle]

But we did and she got so depressed. The WW leader gave me an informational sheet that showed the point system for children and dd12's points were definitely higher than an adult answering all the questions the same way. She was encouraged when she lost 2 lbs. the first week, but the next week she gained 1 lb. back. That is very discouraging for anyone. She started becoming hyperfocused on what she was eating and would often eat less points than I was given daily. She started thinking that the less she ate, the more weight she would lose.

 

The doctor's point was that restricting a child's food intake in order to diet can backfire and might be unhealthy in some situations. It only took a few weeks for me to see that happening to my daughter. I didn't want her to get used to restricting herself. I want her to learn to make better choices. Since then, she doesn't focus on losing, just not gaining alot. She does still weigh herself every few weeks or so.

 

My ds is slightly overweight and the Dr. keeps bringing it up as something to address. I'm focusing more on helping him eat a balance of food groups (instead of all the carbs he tends to reach for). But other than that I am not focusing on food (this boy had some anorexic tendencies when he was smaller). Instead, we've just signed him up for tae kwondo. I know that he needs to be more active.

[stripe]

When I started to gain weight over all the yummy food in the US

Really? Compared to Italy?!

 

Being overweight is not only an aesthetical issue

I feel somehow this is a really nice illustration of an Italian perspective on this issue! But seriously, what if your aesthetic perspective is, say, Rubanesque? Or Ramostweque?

 

I think the US, and certain other cultures already listed, are more than just plump, but have become so large that their ability to enjoy life has been seriously impeded. Some people and cultures clearly have a tendency towards a certain shape (like Samoans), but others seem to have changed dramatically in the last 50 years, or less. It's clearly a case of too much of a good thing and is rather tragic.

 

In other places, where there may not be much food, there can be an overload of greasy things and sodas as well, but there tends to be more diabetes taht results than massive obesity.

[BigMamaBird]

But we did and she got so depressed. The WW leader gave me an informational sheet that showed the point system for children and dd12's points were definitely higher than an adult answering all the questions the same way. She was encouraged when she lost 2 lbs. the first week, but the next week she gained 1 lb. back. That is very discouraging for anyone. She started becoming hyperfocused on what she was eating and would often eat less points than I was given daily. She started thinking that the less she ate, the more weight she would lose.

 

The doctor's point was that restricting a child's food intake in order to diet can backfire and might be unhealthy in some situations. It only took a few weeks for me to see that happening to my daughter. I didn't want her to get used to restricting herself. I want her to learn to make better choices. Since then, she doesn't focus on losing, just not gaining alot. She does still weigh herself every few weeks or so.

 

I'm in WW too and had plateaued for a few weeks. I was getting frustrated and sat down with my meeting leader. She looked at my Points Tracker then jumped all over me because she saw that I wasn't eating all my points everyday. I'd come in a point or two below and thing "great, that will help my loss," but it worked completely opposite with me. If I don't eat ALL my points every day and some of my Activity or Bonus Points as well, I either plateau or actually gain. I make sure to get at least 2 Activity Points every day and make sure to eat at least half of them over the course of the week. I also try to make sure I eat a Filling Food for every Non-Filling Food, that seems to boost the weight loss too.

[Mejane]

I've read it's closer to 40%.

 

I think we have turned the corner on what's acceptable, especially for children. My daughter was scolded at the pediatrician's office several years ago because they said she was too thin for her height. She's naturally thin and a dancer (eats like a horse, burns it off). The PA had her in tears telling her if she was anorexic, she would not get her period or have children. You can bet there was a complaint made... I digress.

 

I wondered at the time if the growth charts had changed over the years to accommodate heavier children to the point that thinner or average children were no longer considered the norm. I was built much the same way as a child, and no doctor ever told me I was too thin. :glare:

[Audrey]

I've read it's closer to 40%.

 

I think we have turned the corner on what's acceptable, especially for children. My daughter was scolded at the pediatrician's office several years ago because they said she was too thin for her height. She's naturally thin and a dancer (eats like a horse, burns it off). The PA had her in tears telling her if she was anorexic, she would not get her period or have children. You can bet there was a complaint made... I digress.

 

I wondered at the time if the growth charts had changed over the years to accommodate heavier children to the point that thinner or average children were no longer considered the norm. I was built much the same way as a child, and no doctor ever told me I was too thin. :glare:

 

The biggest problem with those charts is that they do not take into consideration a person's body type, which varies widely and is genetic. Not to say that a naturally lean, thin person might not push the lean too far into skinny sometimes, and that a naturally stocky person might not go too far into chunky, but those body types are what they are. No matter what you do to diet or exercise, you cannot change your basic body type. It makes all the difference in the world when the line between normal and overweight is so narrow.

[Ester Maria]

Really? Compared to Italy?!

Italian (and generally Mediterranean) food is a LOT better, of course - starting from the fact it's usually real food. :D

What I actually had in mind, but failed to be more precise, are all kinds of ready-made and processed food which are just not so widespread in Italy (though they're coming there too), and the fact that due to its artificial nature a lot of things are extra spicy and extra... tasteful. Unfortunately, since they're utter junk in the essence. ;)

 

I know lots of people who went to the US for a couple of months, or even weeks, and came back with 5-10 extra kilograms. It's the artificial extra tasteful food (albeit terribly low with nutritional values) "made in X minutes in your microwave" that produced that effect.

A propos, I read this link today.

I feel somehow this is a really nice illustration of an Italian perspective on this issue! But seriously, what if your aesthetic perspective is, say, Rubanesque? Or Ramostweque?

That's a legitimate perspective too - de gustibus ... - but if it makes you unhealthy, shortens your life and overall contributes to lowering the quality of your life... it's worth considering just admiring it in Rubens' works and not making it your reality, right? ;)

 

I do get the point though. Various cultures and people(s) have various perceptions of human, especially female, beauty (Eco has a great book on it, by the way). But even if I might find some lady or some gentleman really aesthetically unpleasing to me, if they have no health issues directly linked to their weight, I have no problem with not finding them "beautiful". It's the health issues that are bothering me, because my children are growing up in the world where what were supposed to be EXCEPTIONS - a random fat guy or two who either really don't care, either have such genetical background and some illness leading to that state, which is also possible - are becoming a NORM. As well as all the side effects of eating the way Americans eat today (talk about ADHD, depression and other states which are, if not directly caused by malnutrition, seriously helped by it; or about various illnesses which come as a "payback" years later in forms of cardiovascular diseases, etc.), which contribute to the lack of both mental and physical health of society on the whole, not only the individuals in question.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm really not one of those "green" extremists who strictly keep a diet regime, and want to bother the rest to be strictly organic, and stuff like that. I'm just really sad to see what are we turning into as a consequence of not eating enough real food, as a nation composed largely out of peoples who were NOT genetically "programmed" to go into such shapes - that's clearly an abnormal state for us, and it cannot be good.

I think the US, and certain other cultures already listed, are more than just plump, but have become so large that their ability to enjoy life has been seriously impeded.

Agreed (with the rest of the post too), this is really sad.

But what can you do? You can't change other people's lives, maybe only encourage some small changes in your immediate surrounding, by not allowing your family to make part of the statistics... At least that's the most I found myself to be able to do.

[WishboneDawn]

I've read it's closer to 40%.

 

I think we have turned the corner on what's acceptable, especially for children. My daughter was scolded at the pediatrician's office several years ago because they said she was too thin for her height. She's naturally thin and a dancer (eats like a horse, burns it off). The PA had her in tears telling her if she was anorexic, she would not get her period or have children. You can bet there was a complaint made... I digress.

 

I wondered at the time if the growth charts had changed over the years to accommodate heavier children to the point that thinner or average children were no longer considered the norm. I was built much the same way as a child, and no doctor ever told me I was too thin. :glare:

 

I wonder about the doctors reading the charts too sometimes. Was your daughter off the charts? Or simply or an extreme end? Because those charts show the range of normal. If your daughter is on the chart then she's within the range of normal and should not be getting lectures period.