<p>^I agree, nothing “diet” and no pop drink are healthy. We do not buy any diet, low-fat, no-sugar crap, except if it is not sweetened at all, like powder chocolate w/o any sweetener or yougurt (we buy only plain, unfortunately Costco has only low fat, at other places plain yougurt is very expensive). I noticed that amount of fruits / veggies / honey / chocolate /nuts does not affect my weight at all, but season does. However, I am not thin, just within normal range for my height.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement, wnp. I can only hope you’re right. All my life, people have told me, “You’re too skinny. You need to gain some weight, girl!” Well, I know that, and it used to bother me as much as if someone had said, “You’re too fat. You need to lose weight!” It’s taken me 52 years to get to the point where the comments don’t bother me so much anymore. Now, I’m just focused on staying as healthy as possible for as long as possible.</p>
<p>I really admire all the women on this board who are focused on healthy living. You’re all an inspiration.</p>
<p>Mapesy - the other problem is that as a society we have become so accustomed to people being overweight, our sense of what is appropriate is out of whack! DH is slim. He has serious heart issues, he exercises regularly and eats a very healthy low fat diet. When we go out to eat and he asks for balsamic vinegar on the side for his salad, I just know they are thinking, “What’s with the anorexic middle aged guy!”</p>
<p>^ I would like to add that there are a lot of supposedly “positive” attitude about being any size and beautiful. It is wrong and extremely dangerous to put into our kids’ heads that it is OK. It is not OK, and maybe the little tease at the beginning of life will serve person much better than notion that it is OK to live being overweight.</p>
<p>^It is OK to live being overweight, and millions of people live happy productive lives while fat. Some of them are exceedingly beautiful. Would they be healthier if they were thinner? Yes, some of them would be, but then again we have many choices in life, and nobody always makes the healthiest choice.</p>
<p>^It is not!!! I have been there, it is not good quality of life at all, and only ppl who have always been normal, can support being overweight, you do not know how it feels to feel tired all the times, your legs hurt, sweaty, then you discover that your Blood sugar goes up, the same BP, cholesterol, regular visits to the doctors, pharmacy of pills in a kitchen. I do not understand why this type of living is encouraged and if person does not care and feel free being overweight, then this person might need to feel free pay more for Medical Insurance and not force everybody else to pay, those who putting out tremendous efforts every day trying to maintain reasonable health for themselves, for their families as well for the rest of the society.</p>
<p>I’m happy for you that you now feel you have a better quality of life, MiamiDAP, but not everyone is you. Not every overweight person has diabetes, high cholesterol or a pharmacy of pills in the kitchen. And certainly, plenty of overweight people are happy with the tradeoffs they are making, and feel they have a perfectly satisfactory quality of life.</p>
<p>And may I point out again that at least three separate research studies of thousands of people found that people who are overweight, but not obese, live longer than those who are obese, normal weight, or underweight. I recognize that it certainly doesn’t hold true for everyone, but it’s meaningful data as regards the groups as a whole. Now the question must be: Why?</p>
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<p>Do you remember the magazine or this woman’s name? I’d love to read more about her and see her photo.</p>
<p>I used my family history as an example. Unfortunately, being overweight is primary cause of most medical problem, starting with childhood. I know numerous other examples which involve even very young children. Telling child that it is OK to feel happy by satisfying yourself with food is not a good idea. Thank you that you are happy gor me, I am not happy about attitude for this issue, I would not mind if some members of my own family have stronger peer pressure in regard to normal weight, I disagree that it is OK to be in any shape, young children especially do not know what’w ahead of them unless they are told by their friends / older siblings, parents, doctors (and even medical professionals often are not willing to do so for the fear or negative reaction, while they know first hand how dangerous excessive weight is). Some estimate that about 80% of current medical cost relate to this and it is very sad that some others still try to convince us otherwise, bringing examples of very few overweight people whose weight is not causeing them health issue. I do not know single person like this.</p>
<p>^^I know quite a few people who have a few extra pounds around the middle and who are healthy and fit. In my bike club, a lot of men in their fifties, sixties and seventies have a bit of a spare tire, but are strong riders.</p>
<p>miami…in general, I agree with you. Obesity does cause preventable disease. </p>
<p>But I also think we need to recognize that it’s not universally bad to be a bit overweight. If folks can keep their bp and cholesterol numbers in check, it’s OK. (MY MIL is 94 and has been overweight for most of her life…I can only hope that I’m in as good health when I’m that age). Also, as has been hashed out on this thread, skinny does not always equal healthy. </p>
<p>I don’t think anything is black and white. I don’t believe in rigid rules. There’s too much gray area and too much variability by person. I think it’s better to be 5-10 pounds overweight, eat good food and enjoy life without too much stress, than to always obsess about losing. Now, if your numbers say that you need to make a change…that’s fine. But some folks are just fine with a few extra pounds.</p>
<p>As much as I believe that there are grey areas and not everything is black and white, I much stronger believe in statistical evidence and not in anecdotal cases. Both of them are facts, but probability is the one that I choose to believe and also that young child’s life is very precious and is worth to be protected from risky behaviors.</p>
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<p>The trouble is that “a few extra pounds” so easily turns into quite a few extra pounds.</p>
<p>We have been watching our dear little neighbor girl put on a few extra pounds each year of elementary school. She was normal weight in preschool and kindergarten, but each year since then, she has gained weight. Now she is in fourth grade and is clearly overweight. If this continues, she will have a weight problem, probably the rest of her life. It’s very sad to see. And I agree with MiamiDAP, it’s not OK from a health and social standpoint.</p>
<p>Agree with both bookiemom and MiamiDAP about younger people, but we were originally talking about older people who carry a few extra pounds. I also believe in statistical evidence, and the evidence says that older people who are slightly overweight live longer than people in other weight groups. Are slightly overweight older people more healthy or less healthy than people in other groups? Who knows. But they live longer, for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Anecdotally, my overweight grandmother was never sick a day in her life and lived to age 99. My thin grandmother died at age 75 after breaking her hip. My overweight grandfather lived to age 84, and my thin grandfather died at 58.</p>
<p>My own mid-fifties DH is about 10-15 pounds overweight, but he has exceptionally good cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, as well as low blood pressure. His doctor told him to keep doing whatever he’s doing.</p>
<p>I want to remind people that in children- weight gain is certainly something to pay attention to- but more so that they have available healthy food choices and have time to play actively.</p>
<p>BUt remember weight and height growth do not always happen at same time.
Kids can be tall or under height for their weight till they get to be adults.</p>
<p>I have never really counted calories or obsessed about my weight- don’t have the time or the concentration.
Neither of my kids have problems with their weight or worry about it.
I am more concerned with parents, especially mothers who stress about their weight constantly and pass that anxiety to their kids.
I think that is even less healthy than being 5 or 10 lbs from " perfect".</p>
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<p>True, and I don’t think anyone is suggesting that or believes a message that happiness comes from food is a good one. However, it’s also not a good idea to send a message – which our society does – that happiness comes from being thin. It doesn’t, and there are lots of people who eat a healthy diet who are never going to be perfectly thin. While there is an epidemic of obesity among youth today, there is also a sky-high rate of eating disorders. We have a society where some people literally starve themselves trying to attain the perfect body. It’s very difficult to walk the line where you communicate – especially to girls – that they should love their body and that they are beautiful because of who they are, not what they weigh, while sending a message that they need to be careful to eat and exercise so they won’t gain too much weight.</p>
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<p>That’s a very good point, ek, and I agree wholeheartedly.</p>
<p>Everybody’s worry based on thier background. As I mentioned, everybody in my family on both sides died from Diabetese, some in their mid - 80s who lived with diminished quality of life for about half (40 years) of their lives. Just taking one desease as an example, the cases of it are growing, no these people do not have best quality of life (young and old and in between), it is horrible desease that affects your entire body, despite of fact that some of people with this desease are very active very well conditioned physically. It is the weight that they do not care about (I am not talking about Type I, which is very rare). Well, if you take all other deseases, like high BP, cholesterol, cancer… even anecdotally (and of course by statistics) it makes sense for me to promote normal weight, nobody will ever convince me otherwise. It is not OK to tell child that any size is OK, child will not understand that in most cases it will result in future suffering.</p>
<p>Nobody is saying that " any size is ok", and since you have the history of diabetes, I hope that you are aware of the glycemic index of foods.
[Linus</a> Pauling Institute at Oregon State University](<a href=“http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html]Linus”>http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html)</p>
<p>There are also many other illnesses that make tracking weight complicated.</p>
<p>My mother was on steroids for severe asthma, which caused weight gain. Problems with asthma limited mobility, which made exercise even more difficult. I suspect she had osteoporosis around the thoracic region which would impact her breathing as well.
She ate normally, but appeared overweight through her chest and stomach.</p>
<p>I have been normal weight or under most of my life, but for a time I was on antidepressants, which not only increased appetite, but made me gain weight even without eating more. ( not so much good for the depression either)</p>
<p>I am not a nutritionist, but I have been very interested in nutrients and food since I read " Diet for a Small Planet" when I was in jr high.</p>
<p>Obesity affects health, I agree, but if the choice is for someone to be a size or two larger than they would prefer, or become anxious about everything they put in their mouth- I think it would be better to be a little chubby.</p>
<p>Then again I think Bob Hoskins is just as sexy as Eddie Vedder <B ( well almost- but Ed has set a * very* high bar)</p>
<p>If the food choices are good, if both exercise for the heart & for the larger muscles are engaged in regularly, if there is enjoyment of life and support and love from friends and family, * that * is going to contribute to good health much more than worrying about zipping into that dress.</p>