Pop sociology of obesity

[LadyGrey]

At age 52 I am very fit. 5'8" and 146 lbs. I suppose I'm lucky.

 

i have never smoked, never done any drugs, rarely drink, run most days, never eat pizza or other crap food. I suppose I'm just 'lucky'.

 

If someone is predisposed to being fat then how does eating a a slice of pizza counter that predisposition? hint...it doesn't. How does being sedentary slob counter that disposition? hint...it doesn't.

 

If some people are like children and choose not to make the best of their lives then tough beans. Don't act like a victim and cry on my shoulder.

 

'Hormone' problem. Solution..eat another chocolate? solution...NEVER eat chocolate but that would take an effort to take charge of one's life.

 

 

 

I'm sorry but to some of your post I say BS. I'm 51 years old, 5'4" tall. I weigh 115 lbs. I get little exercise. I eat fairly well, but I do have a piece or 2 or 3 of candy when I want, I have pizza, at least 2 pieces, I don't go crazy for high calorie foods, but yet I don't consider them an automatic no either, so tell me, why is it that one person eats like me and is obese and why is it that I'm not??

 

Granted I know I'm not healthy in one respect, the exercise and the benefits it would give my health and I'm sure I'd look better nude if I had an exercise program but in a way that is beside the point, if someone sees me out and about, they clearly know I'm not obese, maybe not in top shape, but not obese. From your post, it seems that you view obese in that it has everything to do with what you put in your mouth, I disagree. Others?

[Dust]

Does making fun of fat people help them, of course not.

 

Are fat people attractive, no. Do I think society caters to and creates them. yes!

 

First off we have food that is the sweetest, salties, fattiest most addicting and that is the food that makes you fat.

 

Second we've become so politicaly correct I feel healthy looking women are the ones often being attacked with "eat something" or "too skinny." Seriously why is it ok to call a girl too skinny or you need to eat yet if I told a girl she was too fat or needed to eat something different I'd be an ass... I mean I know the answer to that question but I don't agree.

 

Finaly there is no money in keeping people skinny. The money is in selling children milk, sugar water, and candy/junk food. We serve this to children in school paid for with our tax dollars. Thank you government for redistributing my wealth to make the masses fat and then force me to pay for their health care! A+

[FitChick]

Finaly there is no money in keeping people skinny.

 

Well, you need sick people to sell your pharmaceuticals to so the stockholders get paid. The same people who are too lazy to diet and exercise are quite happy to pay a lot of money to take pills for their high blood pressure and depression, side effects of obesity. I say living well and healthfully is the best revenge.

 

Isn't it interesting that the contestants on The Biggest Loser admit to having eaten 8000 to 10,000 per day to get to their big size? Yet, oddly, by cutting their calories and exercising, albeit to extremes to lose weight in the shortest period of time, they lost that "impossible" to lose fat and threw away all their pharmaceuticals which were no longer needed. Many have gone on to become fitness professionals themselves. Many have gone back to their old habits and regained at least some of the weight. Most "diseases" are controlled by lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is an eating disorder.

[Dust]

Well, you need sick people to sell your pharmaceuticals to so the stockholders get paid. The same people who are too lazy to diet and exercise are quite happy to pay a lot of money to take pills for their high blood pressure and depression, side effects of obesity. I say living well and healthfully is the best revenge.

 

Yes it's almost comical to hear the doctors on tv say ask your doctor for fill in the blank drug that does everything from helps you sleep too keeps your dick hard. So sad that so many people would actually eat this crap up and be a human ginnie pig and piggy bank. The cure for cancer, strokes, and heart attacks is already here. It's called take a walk and eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

Isn't it interesting that the contestants on The Biggest Loser admit to having eaten 8000 to 10' date='000 per day to get to their big size? Yet, oddly, by cutting their calories and exercising, albeit to extremes to lose weight in the shortest period of time, they lost that "impossible" to lose fat and threw away all their pharmaceuticals which were no longer needed. Many have gone on to become fitness professionals themselves. Many have gone back to their old habits and regained at least some of the weight. Most "diseases" are controlled by lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is an eating disorder.[/quote']

 

The human body can do more then a doctor or medicine ever have. Yes you get shot or some other crazy thing you most likely will need a doctor to stabilize you. But after that its the human body that heals you. The best thing you can do for your body is use your brain and eat whats been proven to be healthy. Don't get swept in by people trying to sell you their sugar water, dairy, pills etc. I understand that cheese fries and rootbeer float is fun. I understand that drugs are fun. You have to say no at some point. Your brain will show you the way.

 

Seriously I'm tempted to turn over to the dark side and sell vitamen supplements and diet books about how to eat ice cream and lose weight etc...

[betterdeal]

Consumers consume. Whilst personal responsibility is at the heart of any personal growth (or shrinkage in this case) the cumulative effect of political, commercial and social influences is significant. Otherwise, why have them?

 

Both the private and the public spheres affect us.

[betterdeal]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pharmacracy-Medicine-Politics-Thomas-Szasz/dp/0275971961

 

A good read for those interested.

[whiterose15]

Great topic, Frisky! I've struggled with this most of my life. I've been over-weight, had healthy weight, and been obese. I can tell you that

hurting people's feelings doesn't help at all, if so make it worse.

 

It's true that every case is different. It's not only the modern society

and all that goes on. Not all obese people eat like pigs; hell, I've seen healthy and skinny people eat like the food is going to end, but they are lucky to have the metabolism that they have.

 

There's a huge factor to this besides nutrition --- and that is psychological issues like childhood traumas, losses, etc. For me, I didn't notice until later in life that it made me feel safe. One side of me used it as a protection factor, it hid me, another side of me didn't want to be fat if so feel secure of myself and attractive. Being fat kept away all the attention, kept away men a little more. When I was around my early 20s I lost all of my weight thinking I was ready to come out my shell and be free. I didn't work on the mental part as I went. What happened was that I got too much attention, more than I was prepared for. Worse part the obsessive and sick guy type as well. I was able to keep it off for about 3 years. It felt great physically, but the mental part was too much to handle. Didn't know how to handle it. I got followed, grabbed, walked with my dog (boxer) for protection (later, a good friend who became my husband 2 yrs later), and an attempted rape.

People told me I was beautiful. Though that's good, but I wanted to feel normal "pretty" nice, wasn't looking to look like a supermodel or something.

Anyway, that was my experience. Later, life's difficulty took over became too busy and left myself go. Weight came back. The safe factor came back.

 

Now, I'm trying to get it off again, thinking that I have the maturity to handle it, took care of the psychological issues, though this time it's harder, but I'm on my way.

 

Another factor, said before; it's true eating healthy, organic, etc. is a little more expensive. Many people don't have the economy (a true factor, hard to believe, but true) to make better choices. They can make few better once, but not the best ones because they simply can't afford it. The good news is that today the prices has gone down for organic foods. Years ago they were very expensive.

 

Knowledge has something to do with it, but I don't think that's so true today with so much media and internet giving so much information on better eating.

 

I truly believe (from my experience and others, research, and knowledge) that obesity has a lot more to due with the mental-state of the person or psychological issues, depression, unsolved childhood issues, the development of bad habits from both childhood and adulthood, and today's economy, as well as, the rise of prices in everything.

 

Like anything else, a strong will, desire, and discipline comes from within --- true, but there's nothing better than good healthy encouragement and positive thinking to help you along the way. It all gives strength...

 

Obese people need understanding, encouragement, and help; not mockery, discrimination, stares, laughs, made fun at, etc.

 

God bless!

[Dust]

Great topic, Frisky! I've struggled with this most of my life. I've been over-weight, had healthy weight, and been obese. I can tell you that

hurting people's feelings doesn't help at all, if so make it worse.

 

I agree hurting peoples feelings or saying "Eat less!" isn't going to help any one. But why is it there is such a doulbe standard of men and women going up to a healthy looking person and accusing them of being skinny like whys it ok to say "Eat more!" or "too skinny!"

 

It's true that every case is different. It's not only the modern society

and all that goes on. Not all obese people eat like pigs; hell, I've seen healthy and skinny people eat like the food is going to end, but they are lucky to have the metabolism that they have.

 

yeah this kind of thinking is a major problem. Fast metabolisms explain nothing of what we see happening. Those metabolisms have been around more then thousands of years. This food and lifestyle hasn't.

[FitChick]

I eat fairly well, but I do have a piece or 2 or 3 of candy when I want, I have pizza, at least 2 pieces, I don't go crazy for high calorie foods, but yet I don't consider them an automatic no either, so tell me, why is it that one person eats like me and is obese and why is it that I'm not??

 

Because they don't stop at one or two pieces and they eat them everyday. They won't do it in front of other people though. Most people are clueless to the amount of food they eat on a daily basis. Unless you are weighing and measuring your food and counting calories, you have NO idea. I use software to track what I eat so I know WHY I've put on a couple of pounds because I can scroll back and see what I ate. Then I know to NOT DO THAT!

 

Because I've been weighing and measuring my food for years I am very good at "eyeballing" amounts when I go out to eat. What most people call an entree I call three portions so I'll eat part of it and have them wrap up the rest. I generally eat appetizers instead of entrees because they are the size entrees used to be thirty years ago.

Edited January 6, 2012 by FitChick

[Dust]

Do people want to be fat. Most would say no. Is some one better because they are in shape, No they arn't. Is some one who is fat worth more if they lose the weight? No they are the same person.

 

The thing is for myself, friends, and family I want health. I want mobility. I want the energy that comes with not being weighed down with a burden they need not carry.

 

It's very simple why so many people are fat. It starts with education. Kids at our public school are taught to drink lots of milk and soda. To eat fried and processed foods. Then adults do the same thing because guess what sugary, salty, fatty foods are very easy to come by these days and yeah it's tasty addicting stuff.

 

The thing is you have to use your brain. We as a society should realize we are spending more money to feed our children in public school unhealthy then to just feed them healthy. Why do we allow our government to subsidize the sugar industry so much? Factory farms exist because of our government policy.

 

We're all to blame. Pertending like theres no problem and some people just get fat eating the same ammount other people do is BS. Pertending we should just accept fat people as a reality is bs. Pertending that some drug or surgery or medical treatment is the answer is a joke.

 

Eating mostly fresh fruits and vegetables is the answer to more problems then just obesity. But we mostly eat highly processed foods including lots of sugar and lots of animal whether it be milk or chicken and beef.

 

If there were 3 things I could ask for it would be this. 1) for the government to not have a difinitive food chart and food percent daily intakes that would make a person unhealthy. Please educate children and the public with the true levels of sugar etc. that is healthy. Give real food education to children. 2) Stop using my tax dollars to make public schools that serve children fast food and sodas every day. 3) stop subsidising the food insustry it goes to all the wrong foods.

 

We're not powerless we're all to blame for this. On a personal level with the right education and a little determination its easy to be a propper weight. As for the bigger problem of society I would suggest buying as little processed foods as you can. As in try not to buy any soda, try to be whole foods. (not the company but type of food that is in its natural state) Seriously avoid foods that say things like Natural Flavors... That means that the food is flavored not by food ingrediants but by chemicals that they don't have to list meant to tast natural so its natural flavors...

[ThaWholigan]

Do people want to be fat. Most would say no. Is some one better because they are in shape, No they arn't. Is some one who is fat worth more if they lose the weight? No they are the same person.

 

The thing is for myself, friends, and family I want health. I want mobility. I want the energy that comes with not being weighed down with a burden they need not carry.

 

It's very simple why so many people are fat. It starts with education. Kids at our public school are taught to drink lots of milk and soda. To eat fried and processed foods. Then adults do the same thing because guess what sugary, salty, fatty foods are very easy to come by these days and yeah it's tasty addicting stuff.

 

The thing is you have to use your brain. We as a society should realize we are spending more money to feed our children in public school unhealthy then to just feed them healthy. Why do we allow our government to subsidize the sugar industry so much? Factory farms exist because of our government policy.

 

We're all to blame. Pertending like theres no problem and some people just get fat eating the same ammount other people do is BS. Pertending we should just accept fat people as a reality is bs. Pertending that some drug or surgery or medical treatment is the answer is a joke.

 

Eating mostly fresh fruits and vegetables is the answer to more problems then just obesity. But we mostly eat highly processed foods including lots of sugar and lots of animal whether it be milk or chicken and beef.

 

If there were 3 things I could ask for it would be this. 1) for the government to not have a difinitive food chart and food percent daily intakes that would make a person unhealthy. Please educate children and the public with the true levels of sugar etc. that is healthy. Give real food education to children. 2) Stop using my tax dollars to make public schools that serve children fast food and sodas every day. 3) stop subsidising the food insustry it goes to all the wrong foods.

 

We're not powerless we're all to blame for this. On a personal level with the right education and a little determination its easy to be a propper weight. As for the bigger problem of society I would suggest buying as little processed foods as you can. As in try not to buy any soda, try to be whole foods. (not the company but type of food that is in its natural state) Seriously avoid foods that say things like Natural Flavors... That means that the food is flavored not by food ingrediants but by chemicals that they don't have to list meant to tast natural so its natural flavors...

 

My father was on a vegan diet for a while and gave me all this info about food. Ever since, I religiously check the ingredients on the back of the food I buy. It requires just a little bit of knowledge about the food one eats, beyond just counting calories.

[gaius]

I like how many in the thread keep saying shaming isn't the answer and never helped anyone when it helped me. I guess I'm the only person who can admit negative events sometimes have a positive effect on your life.

 

Let's be honest: no obese person in this society is unaware of the attitudes towards fat people in this society. Everybody knows fat is ugly, fat is unhealthy, fat means you're lazy/selfish/greedy, etc.

 

Our society is already shaming fat people. And yet, our obesity levels are increasing. So, common sense says that looking purely at that data, shaming actually increases obesity.

 

Very, very few people are fat by choice. The ones that are, choose the attitude out of either defeatism (because they'd done all that they could, and gave up) or confidence. Some people actually looked at themselves and said," Ya know what, I'm okay with being fat. No one else gets to tell me what to do with my body."

Obesity is a complex issue that doesn't just boil down to shaming or not shaming, I think as a society we should shame behaviors that are destructive. I think the fact that we shame means there are a lot of people that aren't overweight/obese even though obesity is rising for other reasons. Oh and when it comes to science on obesity a lot of people actually do want to be fat even if they don't know it.

 

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/linking_sexual_abuse_to_obesit.html

 

75% of her female patients turned out to have a history of sexual abuse! Studies like that and my personal experience tend to make me believe the vast majority of obesity is caused by emotional issues, while refined foods and genetics play a very small role. They are simple boogeymen we blame in order to avoid the real issues at play.

[FitChick]

75% of her female patients turned out to have a history of sexual abuse! Studies like that and my personal experience tend to make me believe the vast majority of obesity is caused by emotional issues, while refined foods and genetics play a very small role. They are simple boogeymen we blame in order to avoid the real issues at play.

 

I agree. People self-medicate with food instead of getting to the root of their emotional problems. When I am upset, I crave sweets and I know it's because when I was a child, sweets were rare and were "rewards."

[Feelin Frisky]

... do I hire the healthy person or the fat one? Definitely the healthy person...not because they can run 3 miles but because as an adult they have more likely developed better coping mechanisms.

 

That depends on what you are hiring them for. There are one-of-a-kind geniuses with obesity problems and there are perfectly fit "yes men" who haven't an innovative thought of their own in their heads. If you're talking about a generic "employee" who you don't can't anything but obedience from, then sure, pick the thin person. But I don't advise thinking that there aren't any extremely talented heavy persons if talent matters to you.

[Dust]

'the governmnet'...blah, blah, blah...

 

Stop over analysing the issue. Eat less and move your butt more.

 

Tell that to children who barely get to move around while at school and get fed really unhealthy food that my tax dollars paid for when technicaly it should be cheaper to feed them healthy quality food...

[FitChick]

There are two women in my department who look like Biggest Loser contestants. However, one has a medical condition called lymphedema and the other is just morbidly obese. They have two different personalities -- the one with the disease is open and friendly even as she struggles to move around. The obese one is grouchy, depressed and will burst into tears at the slightest provocation. Very unstable. She had a gastric bypass a few years ago but "ate around it" and is fatter now than before. That is the type of person I would never want to work with and I try to avoid if possible, based on my experience with similar people. She is her own worst enemy and you have to walk on eggshells around her. I don't choose to be responsible for her negative feelings about herself.

 

Someone who has a real disease that cannot be cured by any known means is a different story. By the way, how can you tell the difference? Generally by looking at their legs.

[Taramere]

Does making fun of fat people help them, of course not.

 

Are fat people attractive, no. Do I think society caters to and creates them. yes!

 

First off we have food that is the sweetest, salties, fattiest most addicting and that is the food that makes you fat.

 

Second we've become so politicaly correct I feel healthy looking women are the ones often being attacked with "eat something" or "too skinny."

 

The thing is that although being very obese will shorten a person's lifespan, and they face increased likelihood of having a heart attack, if somebody is significantly below their healthy BMI then there's going to be a more immediate and significant risk. A friend of mine has been near death several times due to having anorexia for many years.

 

I won't say she has a "battle with anorexia" because she loves it and has no intention of ever ceasing her anorexic lifestyle (though I see it as an addiction on her part rather than a rationally made choice, and when we've talked about it, she seems to agree that that - addiction - is what it really is).

 

What she hates is the medical intervention which utterly controls her life. She can't go outside the area without the hospital's consent. If she does, and they find out, she gets re-admitted on a compulsory basis. Basically, imprisoned within the hospital due to fears that if she isn't kept in there to have her food intake strictly monitored, she'll die.

 

This is somebody who is regularly at a weight that is considered (by medical staff) dangerous enough for emergency admission into hospital, but as far as a lot of guys are concerned she looks like a woman should look. Which is scary, but it's what people are taught...by magazines that use anorexic models whose gauntness has been concealed with make up, lighting and air-brushing. In some cases, fake boobs to create an illusion of health and womanliness (even if their periods have stopped due to starvation).

 

Generally people seem to show higher tolerance/some qualified admiration for those whose eating disorders manifest as something like anorexia, than they do for the obese....except if they get close enough to a serious anorexic to discover the realities of large amounts of wasted food (purging), endless medical interventions and how it feels to have a perfectly intelligent and rational person inform you that they would prefer to die than give up their anorexia.

 

I don't get frustrated or angry with her, because I've accepted that she is always going to be anorexic and will sadly have a much shortened life as a consequence. Even when things are going well, she continues to purge, remain way below a healthy weight and flood herself with water before weigh-ins in an attempt to avoid admission. When they're not going well, she's in hospital.

 

I would far rather that a friend, family member or partner was somewhat overweight (I've often found myself quite liking the cuddliness of slightly overweight men) than had a disorder like that, which has such an enormous and crippling impact on their life.

 

The kind of obesity whereby people can hardly move is a different kettle of fish, of course. I don't know anybody so overweight that they're classed as disabled, but I should think it would be even more debilitating to the individual than anorexia is (my friend can, at least, get out and do things when she's not stuck in hospital).

 

Certainly, whether somebody's dangerously overweight or underweight, mockery will never help them. I think they'd only do everything in their power to avoid the people who were being mocking/critical. To my mind, all I can do for my friend is provide company and emotional support, as nothing I say or do will pull her out of the binge/purge cycle.

 

Most people I know tend towards a similar approach, but a few people I've encountered are hopeless in those situations, because they have such a strong emotional need to effect change in other people's lives or take the lack of change as some failure on their part. You see it resulting in frustration with the person, leading to criticism that can be fairly abusive/a betrayal of the person as they throw sensitive issues back in that person's face.

[gaius]

Certainly, whether somebody's dangerously overweight or underweight, mockery will never help them. I think they'd only do everything in their power to avoid the people who were being mocking/critical. To my mind, all I can do for my friend is provide company and emotional support, as nothing I say or do will pull her out of the binge/purge cycle.

 

Most people I know tend towards a similar approach, but a few people I've encountered are hopeless in those situations, because they have such a strong emotional need to effect change in other people's lives or take the lack of change as some failure on their part. You see it resulting in frustration with the person, leading to criticism that can be fairly abusive/a betrayal of the person as they throw sensitive issues back in that person's face.

I'll tease friends about their weight if I see them getting heavier, but I don't make fun of my family member who's killing himself with his obesity and I don't mock people who have serious emotional issues like your friend. I've been in the eating disorder ward before and seen the girls walking around with tubes shoved up their noses, it's not a pretty sight. I feel for you having to deal with that on a regular basis.

[Taramere]

I'll tease friends about their weight if I see them getting heavier, but I don't make fun of my family member who's killing himself with his obesity and I don't mock people who have serious emotional issues like your friend. I've been in the eating disorder ward before and seen the girls walking around with tubes shoved up their noses, it's not a pretty sight. I feel for you having to deal with that on a regular basis.

 

I haven't seen much of it, as it was only very recently that she was admitted. It's a small, very quiet unit in the evening, and visiting hours there are restricted. My friend doesn't have tubes up her nose, but she does get accompanied by a staff member every time she goes to the loo. Hopefully she'll get out soon, but as soon as she does she'll put on the weight they've made her gain.

[FitChick]

How many anorectic women do you see everyday? I think I've seen two in my entire life and I've lived in major cities with millions of people. Now, how many obese people do you see everyday?

 

One of those groups is clearly a much "bigger" problem than the other. Let's keep things in perspective.

[Taramere]

How many anorectic women do you see everyday? I think I've seen two in my entire life and I've lived in major cities with millions of people. Now, how many obese people do you see everyday?

 

It's highly unlikely you'd be able to tell just by looking - especially if you don't have personal experience of this condition or have a friend/relative who has had it.

 

In the UK, 1 to 2% of young women will have anorexia at any one time. I should think the figure in the US would be similar. The stats are higher for bulimia (which, obviously, tends to accompany anorexia but can also be found in people with a BMI above the anorexic benchmark), and regular "purging" creates all kinds of health problems.

 

http://www.disordered-eating.co.uk/eating-disorders-statistics/anorexia-nervosa-statistics-uk.html

 

You can't necessarily tell, just by looking at somebody, if they have bulimia. Unless you're a dentist (enamel erosion), or they have a condition like acid reflux from years of bulimic behaviour.

 

A BMI below 17.5 is considered to be the benchmark for anorexia to be diagnosed in an adult. The friend I mentioned is pretty much the size of the thinnest models you can see on catwalks (the ones that haven't banned models with a BMI below 18). She's probably around the size of this model

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7LniNTk6n-A/TPaCLy9EaaI/AAAAAAAABWI/XSv_6mYVo0Y/s640/Luisel-Ramos.jpg

 

When I go into town, I certainly see some people round about that size...but generally they're not displaying their upper arms and upper legs so it's less obvious. You can still see it in the way that even the smallest size of jeans hang loosely on them, though. In some cases they might look like (or be) heroin addicts, but regardless they are still thin enough to be classed as anorexic.

 

In the West, there are far more obese people than underweight people, and yes - obesity is unhealthy and signifies poor eating choices and too sedentary a lifestyle. However, you don't hospitalise somebody for having a BMI a couple of points above the healthy range. Also, if the person loses the weight, they're unlikely to find they have any long term health problems as a result of that weight loss....unless they've developed diabetes, which being overweight can contribute to, or lose weight too quickly and develop (for example) heart problems as a result.

 

In terms of serious long term health issues resulting, you'd probably have to compare anorexia to something like morbid obesity - which, although it's a growing problem, affects a similar percentage of the population to anorexia. The trouble is that aesthetics dictated by the fashion industry lead to this near universal obsession amongst perfectly healthy people that they should be constantly trying to lose weight. Medical concerns about obesity being used as an excuse to dispense tough love to people who might be a bit plump (eg the average British woman now has a BMI of around 26.9 which is slightly above the recommended range) but are generally healthy, don't experience problems in getting around, breathing etc that very obese people could encounter.

 

Because they're closer to (or in some cases at) the ideal promoted by the fashion industry, while people might express concern that people with a BMI under 18 are too thin, they won't generally be regarded with the contempt or disgust that obese people are so frequently perceived with. More usually people tend to be worried about and protective towards very thin women, which tends to exacerbate "the thinner the better" notions, as well as the narcissism that tends to feature more strongly than average in women with anorexia/bulimia.

 

Maybe they're considered to be less greedy. Consuming less resources. More disciplined. However, in reality a lot of them consume large amounts of food that they purge.

 

I fully agree that people should be taught healthy eating habits, but this includes eating enough (and keeping it down). Some people who develop anorexia started out as being slightly overweight then went to the other extreme...and other people's disparaging commentary can be a trigger in that regard.

 

If you honestly don't believe you've seen more than two people with anorexia in your entire life, perhaps you've been more influenced by the fashion industry than you realise. It's not as immediately detectable a problem as obesity is, but at a rate of 1 to 2% of young women at any time, you're bound to have seen a good bit more than 1 or 2 medically anorexic people out and about. Here are some figures for the US, regarding eating disorders.

 

http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

 

I think it's correct to lump binge-eating and starvation diets together, under the umbrella term of eating disorders. Where the obesity problem rises, the anorexia problem often rises too, reflecting a disordered attitude towards food generally. Something that may well be exacerbated by society's obsession with scrutinising people's body shapes (particularly those of celebrities) and being free with criticism even where those people are of a perfectly healthy body weight.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/24/obesity-anorexia

Edited February 1, 2012 by Taramere

[FitChick]

The trouble is that aesthetics dictated by the fashion industry lead to this near universal obsession amongst perfectly healthy people that they should be constantly trying to lose weight.

 

Yet they seem to be resisting quite easily since the population gets fatter every year!

 

Anorexia is about feeling powerless and worthless. The only thing these women feel they can control is their own bodies. They want to disappear. I knew a married woman in her twenties who had a controlling husband and this was her reasoning.

[Taramere]

Yet they seem to be resisting quite easily since the population gets fatter every year!

 

 

A former boss of mine used to complain about me eating whatever I wanted and never putting on weight...but it's not true. It's only true when I'm not really thinking about food, weight loss or anything like that. I've certainly had times when I was heavier than I wanted to be (though still at the upper end of the healthy weight range), but invariably those times have been triggered by me setting impossible goals for myself and then becoming downhearted by the impossibility.

 

That's when a sort of "I can't look like like Kate Moss (a favourite of an ex boyfriend of mine)...so what's the point of trying" mentality sets in. It's a very narcissistic mentality to have. I see a lot of people who not only have it but embrace this notion that other people's admiration (rather than having a fit and healthy body that helps you to be useful and to enjoy life) should be the end goal.

 

It's vital (for emotional and physical health) that people actively tackle that mentality when they see it setting into their own thinking. Possessing the body of a movie star in peak condition might require a Herculean effort or the discipline of a fasting monk....but having a fit and healthy body doesn't.

 

The spread of narcissistic notions resulting in so many people seeing a reasonably fit and healthy body as no longer "good enough" (in comparison with the images of perfect bodies constantly beamed out by the media) is, in my view, part of why we're not seeing as many fit and healthy bodies going about as our grandparents did. More and more people are going to the extreme of trying to look like an emaciated catwalk model or just giving up and settling into gross obesity. Helped along, of course, by the ever burgeoning fast food industry.

[FitChick]

That's when a sort of "I can't look like like Kate Moss (a favourite of an ex boyfriend of mine)...so what's the point of trying" mentality sets in.

 

I've never understood that sort of thinking. I try to be the best Me I can be given my body type, and only compete with myself. Yes, I can admire other women's fashion, hair, makeup, to get ideas that I can adapt to myself, but that's about it. I usually only feel bad that I cannot afford the clothes I want!