i think there is too much weight criticism period. the media attacks you for being to thin and then you gain a few pounds and then suddenly your too fat. what we need is body acceptance, if we accept ourselves regardless of our weight, were more likely to treat our bodies with respect by eating healthy and exercise.

I admit I dislike and criticize obese people often. But I know that it's not entirely their fault. The american live style with its horrible urban design in most suburbs and american food make them fat too. I am saying this bc I know many people who moving here from different countries and gained almost instantly weight bc of the different food and lack of movement (walking to the grocery store, etc)
I believe that people should work on changing what is causing people to be this obese here.
But I guess making people first fat and than telling them they should pay a program (weight watchers, etc) to lose it, is an excellent business model.

I think the term "demonizing" fat people might be taking it a little far, but we aren't talking about people who are 10 or 20 pounds too heavy to be runway models, or who wish their thighs were a little thinner - WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE KILLING THEMSELVES WITH FOOD.

I don't demonize fat people, I just think it's tragic, and frustrating for it to be a public health issue (diabetes, heart disease, knee and hip problems, dementia) when it is TOTALLY, UTTERLY avoidable.

People who drink a litre of soda a day should get a smack upside the head.

Is that Big Mac really worth dying over?

My husband just lost someone in his family to heart attack at 57. He ate himself to death. At this funeral, they served pizza, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and lasagna, and my husband and I sat around watching everyone stuff their faces, going "don't they GET that this is what KILLED HIM?!?!??!?!?!??" It was pathetic.

People are killing themselves, killing their kids, and the rest of us are picking up the tab. Overeating to the point where you do that to your body is AS idiotic as smoking, if not more so. Like smoking, making a change isn't easy, and I think we should give people any support and help that they need to make this change, but we shouldn't give it a pass - if you are 100 overweight, you SHOULD pay more for health insurance, you SHOULD pay extra for plane tickets, you SHOULD feel ashamed of what you have done to your body, because it's TOTALLY avoidable.

I agree with Dancin. There is too much obsession over weight, whether that be the "scary skinny" tabloid titles or the stories lampooning celebs for having cellulite.
Being obese is bad, but everyone knows it is hard to lose weight healthily and keep it off. Also I am convinced, this whole fat/skinny cultural obsession is manufactured and fed by the "health" industry, fast food and the overall conflicting information from medical professionals. Fast food is the cheapest food for poor people to come by, and from personal experience I know that some poor neighborhoods dont even have grocery stores for people to buy fresh produce from. They have bodegas and McDonalds.
I think America wants you to be fat, so you will consume bad food and feed the corporate machine, and they want you to feel bad about being fat, so you will consume Weightwatchers and Jenny Craig, Slim Fast and Neutrasystem, and thereby feed the corporate machine. Feel bad that these get skinny quick things dont work or last long, and consume more cheap bad food.

I agree with Dancin. There is too much obsession over weight, whether that be the "scary skinny" tabloid titles or the stories lampooning celebs for having cellulite.
Being obese is bad, but everyone knows it is hard to lose weight healthily and keep it off. Also I am convinced, this whole fat/skinny cultural obsession is manufactured and fed by the "health" industry, fast food and the overall conflicting information from medical professionals. Fast food is the cheapest food for poor people to come by, and from personal experience I know that some poor neighborhoods dont even have grocery stores for people to buy fresh produce from. They have bodegas and Mc-Donalds.
I think America wants you to be fat, so you will consume bad food and feed the corporate machine, and they want you to feel bad about being fat, so you will consume Weight-watcher-s and Jenn
-y Craig, Slim-Fast and Neutrasystem, and thereby feed the corporate machine. Feel bad that these get skinny quick things dont work or last long, and consume more cheap bad food.

Anti-fat rhetoric is getting out of hand. As a former morbidly obese woman I often had absolute strangers feel that they could question my intelligence and self-control on the street and attempt to humiliate me as if I didn't know that I was fat. When you are very fat part of your problem is visible to everyone and people feel they have the right to poke at your problem because they can see it. But imagine if an alcoholics problem was absolutely visible to strangers even when they aren't intoxicated or someone with a mental illness becomes fair game for strangers to ridicule. People would not tolerate this behaviour but they will easily tolerate and promote ridiculing and judging (without ever assisting) an obese person. That is just wrong.

But as has been pointed out many times being thin does not in any way mean that one is healthy or fit. There are millions of "skinny fat people" people who are more unhealthy and have a higher percentage of body fat and more critical heath problems at 120 lbs than I ever had when I was 300+ lbs.

The assumption of those who attack fat people is that they are "helping" the fat person by attacking them. When has attacking someone ever helped someone? How does slamming a fat person somehow result in the fat person magically becoming thin and cured of any psychological issues that may be inhibiting their weight loss attempts. It's like telling someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one to just forget about that that person ever existed and that they ever loved them and get on with their life and be happy. It doesn't work.

Personally even though I am a hundred plus pounds less than I was three years ago there are things that still plague me - like I used to try to run when I was 300 pounds and strangers would shout very rude things at me. "Whale!" "Fatso!" "Heffer!" All while I was trying to be more physically active. Those heartbreaking taunts stopped me from running as a fat person and strangely keep me from running as a thin person. When I try I feel that people are staring at me and judging me and my weight and fitness. The guilt I feel when I dietary slip or when I fail to exercise to the extreme is very severe. With every pound that I continue to lose I further punish myself for every bit of normal human behaviour or for any bit of enjoyment I may accidentally receive from a meal. I workout at least 4 hours a day (any less and I feel crappy) and I restrict myself to no more than 1300 calories even though my dietitian says that for the level of activity I get that my body needs no less than 1600 to 1800. The humiliation that would be hurled at me by strangers on the street is enough to prevent me from letting myself enjoy my current physical health.

Here's the deal I think that unless you are willing to step up and help the fat person (and I mean that you are going to struggle right along side them and you are going to workout and restrict calories and mentally support that person) that you feel that you have the right to criticize that you should keep your mouth shut.

Second that before you judge or criticize a morbidly obese person or overweight person and feel that you can gauge that person's fitness and health without a thorough medical evaluation that you stop and examine your own health and habits first. If you are without any issues yourself, which I highly doubt, you should fix your own health issues and get your own fitness in check before you demand that other people fix theirs.

And to those that are gonna post - WTG wackdoodle or congratulations on losing weight - don't. My weight loss doesn't require a pat on the back from a stranger - I haven't won anything - my health was excellent before and is probably not as good now as a result of losing such an extreme amount of weight.

I think we need to be more compassionate towards obese people. My mother used to be obese, but I loved her all the same. Then, when we were in a health class and stupid teenagers started to jeer at the obese people on the video, it really hurt my feelings and I started to cry in the middle of the class, because that was my mother that they were saying those terrible things about. They called all fat people lazy, and stupid. But my mother is neither of those. She had knee problems, but she would work out whenever she could, even though it hurt her. People get mad when we say mean things about someone of a certain color, or a certain religion, but no one cares when we make fun of big people.

wackdoodle i applaud you for dealing with your struggle with weight. i think the thing is yes, obesity is unhealthy but do we need to attack and humiliate people for it? people also smoke and no one seems to attack them as harshly as overweight people, and both are horrible for your health.

WD, exercising "at least" 4 hours a day and eating 1300 calories sounds like an eating/exercise disorder to me, regardless of whether or not you have extra weight to lose. Your post raised some psychological red flags and I genuinely hope that you're getting the positive support that you need as your body changes.

I think ppl should be the size they feel happy with and I don't think its ever okay to be mean to someone because of their size, fat or skinny.

On the one hand, I think people are too sensitive in general. Everyone gets teased/made fun of/laughed at for something, it's part of life, deal with it. On the other hand, it seems like it's become a little too acceptable to bad mouth fat people. They are people, they do have feelings, saying how disgusting they are isn't going to help matters.

Though I don't think fat is something we should keep quiet about either. When I was in 7th grade, one of my friends said that maybe if I didn't eat french fries every day, I wouldn't be fat. It was the first time I was ever called fat by someone besides myself, and you know what, I stop eating fries every day after that. I didn't lose weight then because I didn't really know how to eat healthy, but it was a start.

But I would never, ever, say anything to anyone's face about being fat/overweight/obese. That's just mean and not socially acceptable. Behind their back? Of course, who doesn't?

I think genetics plays a role in the weight problems of some, but we cannot blame our culture here in the states on the weight problems of the masses. It isn't as if only some of us are aware that eating fast food all the time and laying on the couch make you overweight. EVERYONE is aware of that. That is where my lack of understanding begins--with those who continue to do what everyone knows will threaten your health with serious weight gain and show no sign of stopping. Another reason our insurance costs go up--every year the obesity rate in the U.S. is going up.

Totally agree with wackdoodle. I used to be very heavy and was condescended to because of it all the freakin' time. Even--maybe even especially--when I was trying to DO something about it!

And then there's also the fact that people ridicule you when you try to eat healthy, whether you're overweight or not. I had a girl say to me, "Are you eating Weight Watchers?" like she was saying "Are you snorting coke?" She actually said, "I've seen you eating all healthy" as if she was accusing me of doing something morally reprehensible. People will judge you for not eating a piece of the cake at a party or for having a salad instead of fries. When I was in the process of losing weight, I had a friend "express concern" when I didn't eat my entire dinner at a restaurant--um, the portions were huge! I was losing weight in a perfectly healthy way and yet I got criticism anyway.

How can people judge someone SO harshly without even knowing their story? For example, maybe someone became extremely depressed because of some horribly traumatic event, stopped caring, and over-ate. What happened to human compassion?
Right now I'm having stomach/digestive problems, and apparently carbs are the only thing that will allow me to digest without getting a horribly painful stomach ache. This is leading me to gain weight, which is really depressing me. I can't even eat the healthy things I want to eat right now. And of course, carbs make you crave more carbs. There are plenty of people with these kinds of problems. Some people have to be on drugs, such as steroids, that make them incredibly hungry. Some people have hormone imbalances that make them crave junk food all the time like many other women do just before their period. And you know, some people have just gotten into a downward spiral. Some people wake up one day and realize they've been overeating and have gained weight, and they feel so bad about it that their self esteem is destroyed. And so what do they do? Keep overeating. Because they hate themselves now. I'm sure they'd agree with people who say they should be smacked upside the head because of what they're doing. It's these kind of hateful criticisms that keep their self esteem so low. They figure that because they've gained weight, there's something horribly wrong with them. They're weak, they're pathetic, they deserve what they get. These are the kinds of ideas our culture perpetuates. It's a sick cycle. It's only when people start to feel good about themselves that they can actually start to get themselves healthy.

And our culture does not make it easy to eat healthy--at all. Eating junk food is practically a part of the culture, especially when you don't have a lot of time to prepare meals. And there are tons of people who eat terribly--the fat thin people--who just happen to have fast metabolisms. They're not ridiculed for their choices.

a million suns: I agree with what you are saying very much. Why don't we criticize people who are alcoholics, or drug addicts, smokers, or people who go TANNING all the time? You think skin and lung cancer and overdoses don't make our health insurance premiums go up? We need to be more respectful and encourage people to take care of themselves: emotionally, mentally, and physically.

The last guy I dated weighed over 300 pounds. He has lost 115 pounds since the beginning of this year, and he has said he can't believe how much nicer people are to him now, just because he's thin. His weight NEVER bothered me. I was concerned for his health, but I never commented on what he ate or habits he had. His weight didn't change the person he was, and that's what we all need to remember.

"Newsweek sites an endless parade of pundits"

It's "cites" not "sites."

And I think that there are lots of unhealthy habits, why pick on one? Lots of thin people aren't healthy either. And this is coming from a fitness freak.

I mean, I kinda think the point is to keep your own comments and thoughts to your own damn self! I don't think anyone has the right to criticize ANYONE for anything they are doing with their own bodies...is that not what freedom is? Is it affecting you personally??? Get over it! People don't need a "push" from people they don't even know to start working out and lose weight. I'm quite certain they KNOW what it is doing to them. It's the same way with smoking...that person won't quit until they want to, or are ready to. But still people go up to them and say, "YOU KNOW, that is really bad for you." Really, no sh*t?? I am a healthy person, but it pisses me off how some people think that for whatever reason they are the ultimate authority on all things about health and that that gives them the right to judge other people! My God! Yes the media puts too much emphasis on being thin and perfect...yes naturally we are brainwashed to think that's attractive, therefore we try to BE that. Is it anyones business what other people do with their bodies??? NO. So take care of your own problems because if you don't have one with your weight I'm sure you have a myriad elsewhere! Goodbye!

"There are millions of "skinny fat people" people who are more unhealthy and have a higher percentage of body fat and more critical heath problems at 120 lbs than I ever had when I was 300+ lbs."

Are you serious? I really don't think it's scientifically possible for a 120 lb woman to have a higher percentage of body fat than a 300+ lb woman. Do the math.

The Newsweek article was ridiculous. The gist of it was that overweight people can't help being overweight due to genetics and that they're likely just as healthy as anyone. I'm sure there is a small percentage of people who are obese due to genetics, but that is not the case for most. If it were, then why is the number of obese people skyrocketing, and why do we see so many success stories where people lose 50+ lbs and keep it off with diet and exercise?

I don't "demonize" or "hate" overweight people. However, a while back, we had a small fire in my office building. It took the overweight people so much time to evacuate via the stairs that if there had been a serious fire, they would have burned alive. Then once they made it down, they were all talking about how they had never walked down so many stairs before (and my office building is only 11 stories tall, not even a skyscraper). And then when everyone else was going back in the building, this same group had to wait outside until the elevators were running again, because there was NO way they could walk up multiple flights of stairs. The peopel I'm referring to were only in their 20s - 40s, and so it really put into perspective for me just how many Americans let their health deteriorate at a young age, which I find to be incredibly sad.

Also, we hear all the time about these mythical overweight people who are "healthier and fitter than thin people." And yet, I know a lot of overweight people, many of whom are close acquaintances or friends. They don't exercise or eat healthy foods - they watch tv and eat fast food daily. I know many people who exercise and eat healthy foods and who aren't skinny, but they're not overweight by any means. Once I see a person who exercises for years on end, while eating healthy foods in reasonable portions and who remains obese, then I will believe it is actually possible.

Yes, there are skinny people who smoke, tan, eat processed food and are generally unhealthy. But I don't understand why overweight people enjoy pointing this fact out, as if it justifies their own unhealthiness. "It's ok for me to weigh 300 lbs and not be able to run 1 mile, because there's a skinny person somewhere who's in worse health than me!" Um, yeah, great logic.

yes. but then i'm fat so of course i'm going to think that

With 2/3 of the country being overweight, I highly doubt that most of them are doing something for their condition. Of course there are people with glandular problems and what not, but don't pretend that most of the people make the choice of being fat.

It's weird to have anti-fat rhetoric in a country where everyone's fat. If you're getting your feelings hurt because of it, most of the country is right there with you so it seems that everyone learns to handle it.

I mean, don't pretend that most people aren't making the choice to be fat.

For those that think obesity is criticized more than other addictions, I just don't agree. As the last Anonymous posted noted, she was concerned for her boyfriend's health but never said anything. Why? If he were killing himself with alcohol instead of food would you have talked about it? On a side note, I experience judgement and discouragement from obese people on almost a daily basis when I make healthy choices. Even though I am at the high end of my BMI range, I get to hear things like, "Why are you eating fruit instead of the donuts? What, are you anorexic now?" I digress.

The point of this post was not to say that obesity is a bigger problem than smoking, drinking, drug use, etc. Yes, some thin people are unhealthy, some overweight people are healthy, but are any obese people healthy? It is ridiculous to treat obese people like they are second class citizens, of course, but it is also ridiculous to brush off this disease and cite exceptions to the rules of health.

We now are raising the first generation of obese children, raised by obese parents. I work in the healthcare industry and this issue is by far the most difficult one we are trying to tackle. Just today I read a new study showing that 30% of Caucasian children and 45% of minority children will have type 2 diabetes at some point. This is an absolute outrage and everyone in America should be horrified at what we are doing to our children.

Anti-fat rhetoric isn't going to help the problem and I would guess that it's making it worse. I would say that in general we as people are far too harsh on each other, and that maybe we should just focus more on making ourselves happy. We are all free adults that have the choice to look/act/be however we like. But I would just encourage everyone to consider our children who have no choice but to trust us with their health. We need to change this epidemic not just for ourselves but for our children.

I wrote the above post. Since I submitted my comment a few more Anonymous people have posted! I was referring to #13.

Chloe Bell- Yes, what I said is correct. My body fat percentage per the dunk tank was 12% when I was 330 pounds. Your assumption that I was more is based on ignorance. It takes a lot of strength to lug all of that weight around for 10 years.

It is not scientifically impossible for some 120 pounds to have a higher level of body fat than someone who is 330 pounds. Skinny does not equal healthy or fit. My neighbor is 110 pounds right now - skinny as can be, ahe went with me to Oakland to go in the dunk tank to have her body fat measured. She has a body fat percentage of 30%. Me at 170 has a body fat percentage of 9.

You need to stop thinking you know everything and listen and learn.

Wow, I am simply amazed at all the perfect people commenting here. I had no idea it was so simple to lose weight. Perhaps the way to go is to stop eating and just start shooting up instead so I'll be skinny and acceptable to the public. I wouldn't want anyone to be offended by my fat.

wackdoodle - let's do the math here - if you were 330 lbs and 12% body fat, then that means that you only had 39.6 lbs of fat total. If you are 170 lbs with 9% body fat, then that means you currently have 15.3 lbs of fat. That means that of the 160 lbs you lost, 24.3 lbs of it was fat and 135.7 was lean muscle mass.

Seriously, though, the American Council on Exercise defines a woman as "obese" if she has a body fat percentage of 42 or more. I don't think I know everything, but it is NOT ignorant to believe that obese people have a higher percentage of body fat that non-obese people. I do not believe that a doctor would tell someone with hundreds of pounds of lean muscle and the body fat percentage of an Olympian that they are obese and need to lose weight. My previous comment was not directed towards athletes with freakishly low body fat percentages, but towards people who are toting around an unhealthy amount of FAT.

#23, no, the way to go is 30 minutes of exercise a day and a low calorie diet. thats how i lost my excess weight. pretty simple actually and i didn't starve or "shoot up" thanks. no one is perfect and few seem to be offended by fat. just offended that someone would think the only way to be thin is by drugs and an ED.

I think it's completely necessary to change the perception in America that being overweight is somehow normal/healthy/okay. The average size of people in this country is getting out of hand, and it's not healthy in any way, shape, or form. Losing weight isn't rocket science and starting out can be done gradually and without a huge shake-up in one's lifestyle. I feel like it should be treated like any other unhealthy bad habit, like drugs or smoking.

Honestly, I don't agree with fat-shaming or fat-hating, but it is unhealthy, and like tlsgirl said, it should be treated the way other unhealthy habits are. And I don't think America's 'anti-fat rhetoric' is out of hand, because obesity rates only seem to be rising.

Chloe Bella - I had gastric bypass surgery at just over 270 pounds not at 330 pounds - two I will trust the actual doctors who performed my total body composition measurements and body scan over a chick on the internet with an axe to grind.

Three you continue to make lame assumption regarding people's activity level, body composition and diet without actually obtaining a shred of information from them. FYI - I did lose a major amount of muscle mass - thus the excellent health that I had when I was obese has been destroyed because of the extreme weight loss.

And Ms Know-it-all what your actual body fat percentage since you know so much? I've noted that at no time have you disclosed your information - which leads me to believe that you are all talk and no bluster no action.

Like wackdoodle, I also used to be quite obese...I weighed close to 200 lbs and have since lost 90 lbs and have kept it off for about 8 years now. My personal theory on it is that if I can lose that much weight, most people probably can too, if they really want to. Problem is, not very many people who are overweight "really want to". It's just a lot easier to stay fat. You can eat all the crap you want and not work out and yeah, you'll be fat, but hey, so what? It's not going to affect you until you're in your 50's right? That's a long way off for most people. I guess I thought about it early because my grandpa had quintuple bypass surgery at the age of 38 and suffered 3 additional heart attacks plus type 2 diabetes by the time he was 60. Needless to say, when he passed away at the age of 67 from VERY preventable diseases and left my grandma a fairly young widow, it made me realize that if I didn't start losing weight (I had just gained 30 lbs in 3 months being at college), I could end up like Gramps. And that's not what I wanted for myself.

Here's the thing...I don't think we should be demonizing fat people, but we do need to focus on adopting healthier lifestyles. My aunt is one of those healthy fat people...sure, she wears a size 16, but she does yoga regularly, drinks plenty of water, eats a very healthy diet, and walks a lot. She also doesn't smoke or drink or go tanning all the time. She's probably a LOT healthier than someone who is a size 2 and binge drinks or smokes pot or whatever. It's too easy to live an unhealthy lifestyle in America right now; we need to make living a HEALTHY lifestyle easier and more rewarding for everyone.

wackdoodle - According to Mayo Clinic: "obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body FAT" http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314

I'm not making "lame assumptions" about overweight people in general - I made a comment about some people that I know personally. The only generalized statement I made with regard to overweight people in general was to say that obese people have a high percentage of body fat. I don't see that as really being up for debate. It's pretty well established in the medical community. Yes, there are some people, like some female athletes, body builders, etc. who have a ton of muscle mass and thus weigh more than average, but they are NOT considered obese, as their weight comes from muscle rather than fat. Having too much fat IS the definition of obese and thus it is very, very hard for me to believe that an obese person at 300 lbs would have a lower percentage of body fat than a 120 lb person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage

I'm not trying to sound judgmental, but I'm honestly wondering why, if you only had 12% body fat, any doctor would ever perform gastric bypass surgery on you. And since you're so concerned about my personal statistics, I will tell you that I have more than 12% body fat, as I am not an elite athlete and don't purport to be one.

wackdoodle - First, I have no idea why you're referring to me as "miss know it all." The only thing I claimed to know was that obese people have a high amount of body fat. This is not really up for debate. Obesity, by definition, is the state of having an excess amount of body fat: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314

Second, beyond the statement that obese people have excess fat, which is an objective scientific fact, I did not make any generalizations about overweight people in general. I made some statements about some people that I personally know very well, but that was all.

Third, no idea why you need to be so hateful or where you got the idea that I have "an axe to grind." Unfortunately, I think that you're reaction is demonstrative of the over-arching issue here. I don't think "anti-fat rhetoric" is out of hand, but rather, I think that the mere act of making the statement that "being obese is unhealthy" gets portrayed as being "anti-fat" and as "demonizing fat people." Granted, there are lots of healthy people out there who are not skinny, and I will be the first to admit that. However, if someone is truly obese, in the medical sense of the word, they are not healthy, and I don't see any point in pretending otherwise.

I think it is interesting to see how quickly so many people have commented and so passionately from both sides of the topic. Many good points have been raised, particularly the fact that there is a difference between criticizing individuals/being hurtful to a person and criticizing the public's (apparent) apathy towards obesity or lifestyle choices that lead to obesity/related health implications.
I think it is a lot harder to lead a healthy lifestyle in a society of such extremes- the entertainment industry praises being thin/fit to the point of idolatry but the advertisements within the tabloids or on tv during e!news are likely for an "indulgent" meal of some sort or other. Its harder, but not impossible, to lead a healthy lifestyle because at some point you have to take responsibility for yourself and your decisions. I think too often our society confuses self control with "deprivation".
That is why it breaks my heart to see kids suffering from obesity and childhood diabetes. Because at that point they are at the mercy of their care providers (family, teachers, etc) It is so hard to lose weight and make lifestyle changes once you are conditioned in bad habits and its extremely unfair to set a child up for a lifelong struggle by failing to take the time and effort to feed them good real food and teach them to embrace an active healthy lifestyle.
I personally am not a fan of the new supersized shows that have been popping up (More To Love, Dance Your Ass Off) because despite the fact that I think it is important to respect and appreciate individuals regardless of their size(/race/sexual preferences/etc.) I think that these shows are tantamount to embracing the fact that we as a people are getting bigger and we're OK with it. When I think about obesity its not a question of aesthetics (some people look bangin' with curves) its a question of health. I think that it would be a tragedy if we let our hedonistic desires win out at the cost of genuine health and well-being.
*steps off soapbox*

HUMANS DO NOT GET FAT BY EATING RIGHT!

For once that fitsugar takes a more unbiased point of view on fat, instead of "cutting and pasting" junkfood science press releases....waowww, I'm pretty impressed,

I think people should accept other for who they are. My mums a size 22 and I think she's gorgeous, I don't see her as "fat", I see her as a woman who is comfortable with her weight, and doesn't let other peoples comments drag her down.

Personally, I think people should accept the muffin top! (As long as it's not hanging out of my shirt that is )

I think criticism needs to intensify. I find it disgusting that the American population is 23% obese. I'm all for having a positive self-image, but the health affects associated with obesity should compel people to make a change!

I think the problem that most people have with losing weight is the frustration. Most people don't have the metabolism of Kate Moss, therefore they really need to work at it. I, for instance, have a condition that makes is very difficult to lose any weight, very easy to gain.

Instead of accepting this fact, I simply work harder. I know that in order to maintain my size 2 figure, I can't afford to eat junk food, and I need to exercise every day. Plain and simple. Unfortunately, I think the majority of overweight people simply have no will power or desire to change.

@Wackdoodle: totally agree with you. The thing that gets me just as heated as obesity is skinny girls who, because they have high metabolism, only eat crap and are lazy. That is no way to live. I think of these girls as "skinny fat."

And to those of you talking about glandular problems, please...stop making those excuses. I'm living proof of the fact that a person can lead a very healthy life, stay fit/active, and maintain a healthy weight. It's just takes dedication, and, frankly, my dedication is paying off in the long-run--my condition has started slowly reversing itself!

@wakadoodle, again: Are you sure you're not getting your body fat percentage confused? Your numbers are outrageously low. 9% body fat is up there with an Olympian (Lance Armstrong is 5%, Venus Williams is probably around 12%), and having that % at 330 llbs just doesn't make any sense, unless you are a body builder.

Having grown up and lived in America, I've rarely ever been exposed to the so-called "anti-fat rhetoric" - I always found (and find) the opposite to be true.

I'm overweight and I'm trying to improve my health. Weight is always an issue brought up more and more but not for the right reasons. Weight is tool used by the media as a standard of beauty, not health concerns. People have reasons why they overeat from time to time and the root issue should be found out before someone judges. That's why in the movie the fat girl is always out of shape and getting made fun of-LOOKS. There are many health issues and I believe it should be gone about the right way. Take the fast food commercials off and promote healthier living. All I'm saying. The more people are demonized, the deeper they will sink.

This is coming from a personal place.Chest pains made me wanna change the way I am, not anyone teasing me.

Oh Gods. Here we go again on the fat girls versus health advocates on the Sugar network.

I don't have much compassion for people that are overweight claiming it's inevitable. I am six foot 2, and at my heaviest I was 268 pounds. I worked my way down to a very healthy 145 and have been there for 5 years now. I did it by A. diet and B. daily exercise.

You'll never change obese people's thinking about this. They are too defensive and full of excuses. They are not going to empower themselves enough to change their health.

OMG! they only people getting worked up about this are the overweight ones. If someone told me i looked like i had put on weight, that would so motivate me to do something about it! I am not from america, but we can see how the rest of world views you. Everyone i know that has travelled to the states has said they put on like 5kgs!! Everything is supersized etc...

Quanni E: I commend you for trying to improve your health. It is really difficult taking those first initial steps! And I agree that the media portrays overweight people as ugly--that is something I really do not believe it.

Furthermore, I agree that fast food commercials need to be banned, in the same manner that occurred with the tobacco industry. I've said it many times on FitSugar, and I will say it again: fast food needs to have a luxury tax levied against it!

Anyway, for me the weight issue is simply a question of health. Size doesn't matter to me--health does. With that said, I don't agree with what studies are finding. I think it's probably very challenging to find a incredibly healthy, 300 lb person. Even if that person has low cholesterol, eating healthy foods, etc, the strain that amount of weight puts on your organs is enough to cause complications!

I would totally support a tax on fast food, Asche. You could give it to the states to combat obesity related illnesses like diabetes.

Anonymous #20/21: I don't think I was clear with what I put in my post earlier. When I said I didn't say anything to my boyfriend about his habits, I didn't mean that I pretended that some of the things he was doing weren't responsible for his weight problems. I meant that I didn't feel it necessary to scream, "Why are you eating that?!" every time we sat down and had a meal, etc. Me attacking him every time he did something was not going to help him lose weight. If anything, he would think that because I kept making comments that his weight bothered me and that I wasn't attracted to him, which could not have been further from the truth. Incessant and rude comments only add to the emotional aspects of a weight problem, which can make people spiral even firther into bad habits.

What I tried to do was let him bring up the subject, and then I would tread lightly from there. I only told him that his weight never effected how I felt about him in any way, but that I was worried about the effects it was having on his health. And I also told him that he needed to lose weight because HE wanted to, not because he thought it was what I wanted.

Not long after we started dating he came into a lot of money, and he said that he really wanted to make his health a priority. When he asked what I thought, I recommended that since he had the time and the resources that maybe he could get a personal trainer and put in a home gym. He did both, and has since lost 115lbs. So I was never completely silent about the issue, and ignored his bad habits. I tried to be positive and encourage him when he started making positive changes. But I think it would have been foolish of me to assume that by making constant reminders about his weight problem that it would have helped him. Calling an alcoholic a useless drunk won't make them get sober any faster. People have to want to help themselves first, and then all you can do is be a positive force and encourage good habits, behaviors, and efforts.

@Wackdoodle: I just went back and re-read your post, and it really spoke to me. I'm so sorry you experienced that amount of torment. When I see people behaving in such a nasty way, I am a person who stands up for those being attacked (perhaps this is b/c I too was bullied). Furthermore, I'm sorry that you still punish yourself over your past eating choices. But after reading your post, I can't help but feel that you may be heading toward an eating disorder.

I feel conflicted about bringing this up online, but I would also feel horrible by not saying this. Eating only 1300 calories and working out 4 hours a day is very dangerous behavior. When your body reaches its limits, and you are no longer able to continue this way, your weight will come back. I think that instead of working with a dietitian and trainer, you should sit down with a counselor and work through whatever underlying issues you may have.

Maybe by discussing why you overate and what is now compelling you to have such an extreme diet and exercise regimen, you will be able to get to the root of the problem and begin to live a healthier, less extreme life.

I completely agree that eating a balanced diet and exercising every day are the only ways to get and stay healthy. No one is questioning that. The problem is the people sitting here saying that people should lose weight because they look disgusting. Why would people assume that anyone is overweight because they WANT to be? It's pretty much a proven fact that depression and weight problems usually go hand in hand. That is one of the things they focus on in "The Biggest Loser." You can't just make someone eat well and exercise for a few months and then expect them to keep the weight off. You have to figure out WHY the person is eating the way they are, and fix them from the inside out. That way they have a better chance of changing their lifestyle permanently.

The focus of weight loss should not be, "So you look better and get more dates," or, "So you can fit into a size 2!" Being overweight is bad for your overall health, and THAT'S why it is important to eat well and exercise. And if there is someone in your life whose weight is really worrying you, then express your concern for their health, not their appearance. Saying, "You look disgusting and should be ashamed of yourself; I don't feel bad for you because you've done this to yourself," is NOT going to motivate someone to start running and drinking protein shakes. It's going to make them feel like sh*t about themselves, and probably make them dive deeper into bad habits. If you are really concerned, I think a, "I care about you and want you to be around for a long time, and am worried you won't be unless you start taking better care of yourself," might be a little more effective.

I have to agree with Spectra. For the majority of people staying fit and healthy is HARD WORK. It requires dedication to exercise and healthy living. I personally work about 5-6 days a week for 45 minutes to 90 minutes & spend a half hour a day on a food and exercise diary to get fit. Some people just don't have the time or the desire to be that dedicated to it. They are fine with who they are.

Personally, as someone who has to work really hard to be and stay fit, I can understand why somepeople don't do it, or are discouraged.

If you are happy with who you are, then fine. I think we spend TOO much time talking about it as a society. SO and SO is TOO thin, SO and SO gained so much weight. It's half of the hollywood gossip.

Healthy behavior is taught and learned. Hopefully everyone will teach their kids to be healthy and get enough exercise, so that it starts filtering down.