Weigh In: America and Weight

[CatStarESP4]

Originally posted by Shine
A person's value shouldn't be based on how big or little they are. Or what color thier skin is. Or their religion. Or ANYTHING that is beyond their own personal morals, choices, and behavior to others.

You got that right!

[Lady Pi Phi]

I have to say that plus sized women are treated differently. As are thin women.

If you're on the larger side, most people peg you has stupid and lazy. If you're on the thinner side, some people pegg you as anorexic or bullemic. It's a no win situation. People demand perfection, and it's impossible.

I was in the mall the other day looking for a birthday gift for my 12 year old cousin. She might might be 12, but has the body of a 16 year old. She's very tall, and she's very thin. So I'm walking through stores that are obviously not catered to me (as I am a plus-sized girl), but I was not asked once if I need help. I got nast stares from the sales girls, and I was ignored. Instead of asking for help I chose to walk out. I ended up buying an outfit for my cousin in the first store that a had someone ask if I need any assistance.

Also, if you're interested in reading about this topic I suggest the Book No Fat Chicks: How Women Are Brainwashed to Hate Their Bodies and Spend Their Money

The Author is Terry Poulton. She's a Canadian author and the book was published in 1996. I had a hard time finding it, so I don't know how accessible it will be. I would try Amazon.com or even go the Chapters.Indigo.ca. You may be able to find it there.

[PandaOnProzac]

I hate the media for that reason. My main beef is with MTV. They air these "Fight for your rights" shows that preach equality yet the rest of their shows only feature the thin and beautiful people.

[MoxieGrrl]

PandaOnProzac: I agree. Which is why I hate MTV. It's evil, vapid, and useless.

Anywho.....There are so many fat little kids these days! Now, don't get me wrong, when I grew up, there were chubby little kids. But there is a difference between a few extra pounds & obese. It's just something you see more and more.

Here is my example: Last night, Mr. Mox & I were looking at houses. He said, "I don't know if I would want to live here. There are too many kids around." WHAT?! They weren't being bad, they were playing kickball in the street and stuff. What kids used to do! He used to do the same darn thing! But now, we're so used to kids being plunked on their butts, watching tv, playing Playstation, or being entertained on the computer that anything else is seen as unusual.

This sedentary lifestyle & fast food culture is a result of single parent families. I think that the mother or father raising their children alone have to work so hard, for such long hours, they just don't have the time to cook. Plus, they do not want their kids outside where it could be dangerous. So whipping through the drivethru & letting your kid stay indoors with a computer or tv is easier and seems safer.

Ok, that was starting to get way off subject. Sorry.

[KappaKittyCat]

MoxieGrrl, I wouldn't blame it all on single-parent families, but on the double-income scenario that so many parents find themselves in. They work lots because they want to be able to send their kids to soccer camp, give them piano lessons, and pay tuition at a good college.

I think that it's the Pepsi-Nintendo culture. Kids stay inside and eat Doritos and watch TV instead of going out and being kids.

When I was a child I was climbing trees and riding bikes and doing all sorts of crazy outside stuff. I was only allowed one hour of TV per day (I didn't have a Nintendo or computer). I didn't even realize it, but I was getting tons of exercise. Today's kids are lazy without even realizing it. Our society goes for the passive entertainment.

[DZHBrown]

I think it's because society puts thin, beautiful women in our faces everyday. With magazines like Maxim, Playboy, even Cosmo, we're shown that people only like thin women. It puts enormous pressure on women and teenage girls to look a certain way - a way that is often unattainable and usually unhealthy.

[DeltaSigStan]

Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
This sedentary lifestyle & fast food culture is a result of single parent families. I think that the mother or father raising their children alone have to work so hard, for such long hours, they just don't have the time to cook. Plus, they do not want their kids outside where it could be dangerous. So whipping through the drivethru & letting your kid stay indoors with a computer or tv is easier and seems safer.

I can entertain that, since I was in a single parent family and I have a weight problem, but at the same time, I didn't gain all that weight until I was AWAY from my mom's rule and had money to spend on fast food. My mom ran a VERY healthy house (She's the most petit/slim person I know), but when I was away from that is when it went bad for me, so it might not be because the parent doesn't have time to cook because my mom cooked healthy meals all the time.

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally posted by honeychile
I was talking with some people just the other day. One of the (older) ladies could remember when Cokes were a nickel, but they were 8 ounces. Now, you pay at least 75¢ for 16 ounces. Do we really need to have twice as much?

I agree that huge portion sizes have a lot to do with how much larger people are now as opposed to, say, 50 years ago. Most of the older (well, older than, say, 40) people I know insist that no one was overweight when they were younger except maybe one or two people in their class. But back then, there was no McDonald's in town, either, and most people either did chores (like pushing those lawnmowers with no motors) or worked on farms around here, so they could eat chicken fried in lard and not be overweight.

All through high school and even now, people always tell me, "Oh, my God, you're so thin!" Well, I'm the same size as my mom was when she was my age (I know this because I wear her now-fashionably-retro clothes! ) and it wasn't unusual thirty years ago. I think whoever said we idealize the not-normal is right...back when people were starving, it was chic to be heavy, and now that people are heavier, thin is the ideal.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
In your opinion, why is obesity an issue in the USA?

I think a lot of it has to do with portion control. I've been in the US and seen some potato chips bags the size of Animal Feed Bags, which I think is out of control!

Also, the way that a lot of North American cities are set up, you cannot walk here there and everywhere, you have to drive. Whereas, in Europe, you can often walk to places, or you can walk to their terrific public transit (believe me, climbing the stairs in those subway stations is good exercise)

FWIW: I have seen people who exercise who were "not slim". I watched the Ironman Triathlon in Penticton, BC and saw plenty of 'not-slim people' finishing. It's important that people exercise, as we don't get enough in our day to day routines, unless you do heavy manual labour or something. Exercise is GOOD FOR YOU!

I have already vowed, that when I have children, I will never buy them a Nintendo or an X-Box. For their birthday, I might 'rent one" and they can play it all weekend, but that's it! At the end of the weekend, it goes back to BLOCKBUSTER.

[sugar and spice]

I don't think the obesity problem is a result of single-parent families, but rather the increasing pressure to work longer and longer hours. That's something that many single parents struggle with, of course, but there are plenty of married couples I know who are both working 60-80 hours a week too.

It would be an interesting study to see if kids from single-parent homes were more likely to be overweight than those from two-parent ones.

[MoxieGrrl]

Yeah, I guess single-parent wasn't what I was really trying to say. It's more like latch-key kids. Back in the day (when I was in elementary school), there were one or two kids who had to do this, and everyone talked about how bad their parents were. (Gotta love small towns.. ) Now, it seems to be the norm. It's a lot easier for a kid to call & order pizza than it is for the parent to leave a prepared meal.

[lovelyivy84]

I think that it's ridiculous to compare criticisms/stereotypes for people who are thin to those for people who are fat/obese.

Thin people are envied up to a certain level- skeletal ain't cute by any standards but thin is considered THE aesthetic.

Any sniping done on people who are a size 5 and under is done out of envy 9 times out of 10, and not because of CONTEMPT for the actual person.

I am sure that there are many thin people on GC who have been hated on and I am not trying to say that being picked on for any reason is better than another, but let's be real. People in America look at fatness and see ugly, stupid and lazy.

Please let's not pretend that there is any equality in both ends of the spectrum.

[librasoul22]

Agree with lovelyivy on this one.

I am thin. People are always chiding me about it. But seriously? Nowhere NEAR what happens to overweight people. Come on guys it isn't even anywhere near the same thing.

And I am gonna be blunt as hayle about this. To me, skinny people who complain about being skinny are nothing more than attention whores.

[sigmagrrl]

Originally posted by librasoul22

To me, skinny people who complain about being skinny are nothing more than attention whores.

I feel the same way about when thin people say "God, I'm SOOO FAT!!" They say that JUST to hear, "OMG! You are so thin! You are not fat!"


FURTHER approval and validation!!!

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by sigmagrrl
I feel the same way about when thin people say "God, I'm SOOO FAT!!" They say that JUST to hear, "OMG! You are so thin! You are not fat!"


FURTHER approval and validation!!!

Agreed.