Why are so many women in their early to mid 20s already so heavy? Is this mainly a USA phenomenon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look I understand a little weight gain at 41, 42 or 43 or even at 31, 32 or 33.

But at 21? 22? 23?

Early to mid 20s are supposed to be one's one prime pencil thin swimsuit worthy years.

They don’t understand what metabolism is, they don’t understand they’re not playing soccer or whatever high schools sports anymore, they eat junk all day with no more access to sensible family meals. Plus binge drinking and carby/greasy late night meals. And constantly snacking while “studying”.

Faces get poofy first and never return to size. Many such cases. Sad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheap, quick calories are plentiful in this country.

It takes time and/or money (or advanced planning) to eat right, whereas you can feed your family a drive-thru diet quickly and easily.

Kids don’t really actively play outside anymore. Most of them are on devices.

Also, with regard to HS sports, in a lot of cases, you need to have prior experience to make the HS team. It costs money (and parental time) to get this experience in the younger grades.

Very few people adopt a healthier lifestyle in college.

All of this. When I was growing up (I am 41), there were plenty of kids who took up sports in high school, and played on high school teams. It was also free - you just had to buy your shoes.

What I have noticed is that young people are not "young" fat, they are "old" fat. Young fat is just kind of chunky, but firm. Old fat is droopy, with a huge gut and back fat. There was no one that looked like that when I grew up. Now, you see really little kids with old people bodies. It's hard to come back from that.

I don't know if it is the food or what. I do know that kids go to Starbucks and Chipotle or whatever a lot. We rarely if ever used to go and get take out, and some of these kids are doing this on an almost daily basis.

This all or nothing is interesting- I wonder if it could be as a result of parents tracking kids early, and thus you are a "sporty" kid who goes to soccer 5x /week or you are NOT .

Yep. For many sports, nowadays, you cannot start playing in high school, even at the JV level. And this isn't even at sports powerhouse schools anymore--it's at most schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

Rich cosmopolitan types at fancy privates are a different caliber, not reflective of average America college gal at a tailgate state party U.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

I had the same experience at my neighborhood pool in NE DC this weekend. Most all of the younger people were slim/fit and attractive and every time I turned around more were coming! I'm usually with my kids and don't pay attention to what's happening on the adult side of the pool.

Give them a few years and see what happens.

Insert a tracking device on them and look them up 2-3 years from now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

Rich cosmopolitan types at fancy privates are a different caliber, not reflective of average America college gal at a tailgate state party U.

No. Their are plenty of fat women in those circles as well.

[Anonymous]

*There*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

I had the same experience at my neighborhood pool in NE DC this weekend. Most all of the younger people were slim/fit and attractive and every time I turned around more were coming! I'm usually with my kids and don't pay attention to what's happening on the adult side of the pool.

Give them a few years and see what happens.

Insert a tracking device on them and look them up 2-3 years from now.

This was my experience living in DC. We were in Logan Circle and everyone around us was very slender/fit. Moved to MoCo burbs a few years when we had kids and I'm BY FAR the thinnest person here. And I'm 5'3" and 115, not a stick. People aren't obese or anything, but most carry 15-20 extra lbs.

I think the weight gain happens in large part because people drive everywhere as opposed to walking. There's a nice playground within a 10 minute walk of our house. Everyone around us drives there instead of walking. I'm also out walking daily, pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood (two small kids) - rarely do I run into other moms doing the same. I am a runner and rarely see others out running in my neighborhood. In Logan Circle I never failed to see other runners even very early in the morning, in any weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

Rich cosmopolitan types at fancy privates are a different caliber, not reflective of average America college gal at a tailgate state party U.

No. Their are plenty of fat women in those circles as well.

Do you hang out with rich people? I don't think you do....

Sure, there are some heavy wealthy young women but they really are the exception to the rule.

[Anonymous]

I was just out for lunch and strolled around doing a few errands, in Center City Philadelphia where I work and live. I saw many young women, both office workers and professionals and college age students. The overwhelming majority were slender and trim. Some slightly heavier. And there are certainly heavy ones but they are the distinct minority.

I don't dispute American women as a whole have become heavier as god knows how many studies and reports have been done on it and I see it with my own eyes but much of it has to do with lifestyle differences and socio-economic cultural factors certainly plays a major role.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

I had the same experience at my neighborhood pool in NE DC this weekend. Most all of the younger people were slim/fit and attractive and every time I turned around more were coming! I'm usually with my kids and don't pay attention to what's happening on the adult side of the pool.

Give them a few years and see what happens.

Insert a tracking device on them and look them up 2-3 years from now.

This was my experience living in DC. We were in Logan Circle and everyone around us was very slender/fit. Moved to MoCo burbs a few years when we had kids and I'm BY FAR the thinnest person here. And I'm 5'3" and 115, not a stick. People aren't obese or anything, but most carry 15-20 extra lbs.

I think the weight gain happens in large part because people drive everywhere as opposed to walking. There's a nice playground within a 10 minute walk of our house. Everyone around us drives there instead of walking. I'm also out walking daily, pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood (two small kids) - rarely do I run into other moms doing the same. I am a runner and rarely see others out running in my neighborhood. In Logan Circle I never failed to see other runners even very early in the morning, in any weather.

My relative was one of those slender/fit women that you saw running around DC.

Then guess what happened?

She got married, left DC, moved to the suburbs and had 3 kids.

She is now quite heavy.

Her parents are wealthy and her husband is too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

Rich cosmopolitan types at fancy privates are a different caliber, not reflective of average America college gal at a tailgate state party U.

No. Their are plenty of fat women in those circles as well.

Do you hang out with rich people? I don't think you do....

Sure, there are some heavy wealthy young women but they really are the exception to the rule.

FAT does not discriminate. Anybody can be FAT regardless of the size of their bank account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

Rich cosmopolitan types at fancy privates are a different caliber, not reflective of average America college gal at a tailgate state party U.

No. Their are plenty of fat women in those circles as well.

Do you hang out with rich people? I don't think you do....

Sure, there are some heavy wealthy young women but they really are the exception to the rule.

FAT does not discriminate. Anybody can be FAT regardless of the size of their bank account.

Your point is?

Anyone can be fat. Anyone. But many if not most people are fat due to lifestyle and habits and cultural acceptances. If you spent time around rich people you would know that they are far less likely to be fat because they take care to be thin and trim. Huge cultural pressures to be thin. There is a reason why poorer people are far more likely to be fat than wealthy people. It's quite simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was wondering just the opposite OP. I live in Georgetown, and I see so many fit young women going to Soul Cycle, yoga, etc. that I don't think girls/young ladies every looked this great. Maybe it's an urban vs. suburban thing.

I had the same experience at my neighborhood pool in NE DC this weekend. Most all of the younger people were slim/fit and attractive and every time I turned around more were coming! I'm usually with my kids and don't pay attention to what's happening on the adult side of the pool.

Give them a few years and see what happens.

Insert a tracking device on them and look them up 2-3 years from now.

This was my experience living in DC. We were in Logan Circle and everyone around us was very slender/fit. Moved to MoCo burbs a few years when we had kids and I'm BY FAR the thinnest person here. And I'm 5'3" and 115, not a stick. People aren't obese or anything, but most carry 15-20 extra lbs.

I think the weight gain happens in large part because people drive everywhere as opposed to walking. There's a nice playground within a 10 minute walk of our house. Everyone around us drives there instead of walking. I'm also out walking daily, pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood (two small kids) - rarely do I run into other moms doing the same. I am a runner and rarely see others out running in my neighborhood. In Logan Circle I never failed to see other runners even very early in the morning, in any weather.

My relative was one of those slender/fit women that you saw running around DC.

Then guess what happened?

She got married, left DC, moved to the suburbs and had 3 kids.

She is now quite heavy.

Her parents are wealthy and her husband is too.

The thing is, I totally get it. In DC I really didn't have to make a huge effort to be fit. We were an almost 20 minute walk from the Red Line (my work commute), and in general I walked everywhere - grocery store, meeting friends, etc. And I had plenty of time for the gym or a leisurely 3-5 mile run apart from that. Now I'm in the suburbs, I have kids and a commute. I have to wake up at 5:30 AM in order to get a short run in a few times a week. After work I rush to get the kids fed and then, unless it's freezing or pouring, we head outside for a walk. I'm slender but I'm always tired. (What I'm not is wealthy...)

[Anonymous]

Super rich and far from thin.

[Anonymous]

Why must we rehash this over and over? There are a combination of factors--social changes like video games, netflix, driving everywhere, culture of snacking; environmental change like pollutants, hormones and obesegens in our food and drinking water; and the grotesque and unregulated manufacture and marketing of junk food by corporations.

Michelle Obama tried to make school lunches healthier, encourage fruits and vegetables, and champion exercise, and the pushback from "real Americans" who wanted her to leave their food alone was astounding. So here we are.

The differences between my DC kids and the eating/exercise environment I experienced growing up as a DC kid is remarkable.