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

[Anonymous]

A lot of people on this thread, including OP, appear to be making assumptions. For statistics on obesity, check out this Robert Wood Johnson Fdn report: https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/. Women ages 20 and older are just very slightly more likely to be overweight than men, 41.1 percent versus 37.9 percent. By age group, adults show similar rates of obesity. Among those 20-39, 35.7 percent are obese. From ages 40 to 59, 42.8 percent are obese.

Also, you can Google food trends, prescription drug use, etc. Many convenience foods are, indeed, more caloric. Antidepressant use has also increased markedly since 1999, as has use of antipsychotics and other types of drugs that cause weight gain. We are also more sedentary. This has changed a lot from 1970 to present. It has little to do with exercise habits and a lot to do with job requirements, commuting distances, public space programming, and screen time.

But better to have 17 pages of speculation than look any of this up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people on this thread, including OP, appear to be making assumptions. For statistics on obesity, check out this Robert Wood Johnson Fdn report: https://www.stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/. Women ages 20 and older are just very slightly more likely to be overweight than men, 41.1 percent versus 37.9 percent. By age group, adults show similar rates of obesity. Among those 20-39, 35.7 percent are obese. From ages 40 to 59, 42.8 percent are obese.

Also, you can Google food trends, prescription drug use, etc. Many convenience foods are, indeed, more caloric. Antidepressant use has also increased markedly since 1999, as has use of antipsychotics and other types of drugs that cause weight gain. We are also more sedentary. This has changed a lot from 1970 to present. It has little to do with exercise habits and a lot to do with job requirements, commuting distances, public space programming, and screen time.

But better to have 17 pages of speculation than look any of this up.

Sorry, this doesn't make sense. I _saw_ a video from Woodstock with skinny people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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...)

Logan Circle resident and runner here. I swear its a mafia. If you go running anytime around lunchtime or on the weekends, the rush hour traffic on the sidewalks is insane.

That's why I love it. Being surrounded by a community of people who exercise normalizes it.

Stop generalizing.

People exercise in the suburbs too.

Of course. But they typically aren’t exercising simply by daily living. That’s the point. I also believe that by having to run errands on foot you have to stay fit. Being overweight in a city is harder than in the suburbs. You can’t just drive from point A to point B and hide in your car.

But suburbanites have more time and opportunity to enjoy the outdoors once they are home. more.cooking at home and fresher air. Their kids are outside playing and so are they.

Also, mental health in the burbs is much better than in urban areas.

LOL that's actually the opposite of what happens. Most suburbanites are commuting 45 minutes - 1.5 hours in this area to get home. That's 2-3 hours of your day you don't get back and you certainly can't use to workout, walk, go outdoors etc.

Most people are desperate to move closer in BECAUSE they get that time back. I know walking to work in under 10 minutes makes me the envy of my co-workers who take a train in from Springfield, VA every morning (especially post-DST when they have to get up before dawn to trek in).

Those of us out in the suburbs have a ton more yard work than you do. I do my own house and yard work and, believe me, it is a much more grueling workout than a 10 minute walk down a sidewalk....and I also take a daily walk but that's beside the point.

You do an hour of yardwork daily?

Because I live in a city and do about an hour of walking to/from work.

If everyone is getting so much exercise in the burbs to counter the car commute than why are so many people who live in the burbs fat??

I have two acres so there is always something that needs doing - mowing, weeding, trimming, mulching, dead heading, planting, shoveling, etc. Always.

If it's not yard work, then it's a project of some sort - designing a fire pit with seating for instance or reorganizing the garage. Oh, and that doesn't include all the housework I do. Plus I take a daily 40 minute power walk. Walking 30 minutes to/from work would be easy by comparison.

Do you work?!? Because with all of the housework and yardwork you’re describing it seems like you don’t. If I lived in the burbs and didn’t work I can see how I could maybe make time daily for exercise and get exercise through normal housework

But I have a job and prefer to have a job. This involves getting to the job. I don’t have time for crazy amounts of yard and housework nor do I have interest in that. I much prefer to get exercise through errands and getting to/from work. I would be heavier if I had to commute via car because I’d have to try to fit in exercise AFTER my car commute.

Of course people work and do housework and yardwork. So sad! What type of job do you have that you have not time at home. Are you young and have no seniority at work?

YOu sound like you wake, walk, work, walk and then do nothing with your life. That sounds like a sad life.

You gotta love someone who lives in the burbs bragging about all of the yardwork and house cleaning they do! Hilarious.

If your kitchen is too small to cook and you eat out all the time... you can't cook or clean. Imagine bragging about having to leave your house every time you need coffee or food.

Who said anything about that? There was no mention of cooking, coffee or food. You make all sorts of assumptions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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...)

Logan Circle resident and runner here. I swear its a mafia. If you go running anytime around lunchtime or on the weekends, the rush hour traffic on the sidewalks is insane.

That's why I love it. Being surrounded by a community of people who exercise normalizes it.

Stop generalizing.

People exercise in the suburbs too.

Of course. But they typically aren’t exercising simply by daily living. That’s the point. I also believe that by having to run errands on foot you have to stay fit. Being overweight in a city is harder than in the suburbs. You can’t just drive from point A to point B and hide in your car.

But suburbanites have more time and opportunity to enjoy the outdoors once they are home. more.cooking at home and fresher air. Their kids are outside playing and so are they.

Also, mental health in the burbs is much better than in urban areas.

LOL that's actually the opposite of what happens. Most suburbanites are commuting 45 minutes - 1.5 hours in this area to get home. That's 2-3 hours of your day you don't get back and you certainly can't use to workout, walk, go outdoors etc.

Most people are desperate to move closer in BECAUSE they get that time back. I know walking to work in under 10 minutes makes me the envy of my co-workers who take a train in from Springfield, VA every morning (especially post-DST when they have to get up before dawn to trek in).

Those of us out in the suburbs have a ton more yard work than you do. I do my own house and yard work and, believe me, it is a much more grueling workout than a 10 minute walk down a sidewalk....and I also take a daily walk but that's beside the point.

You do an hour of yardwork daily?

Because I live in a city and do about an hour of walking to/from work.

If everyone is getting so much exercise in the burbs to counter the car commute than why are so many people who live in the burbs fat??

I have two acres so there is always something that needs doing - mowing, weeding, trimming, mulching, dead heading, planting, shoveling, etc. Always.

If it's not yard work, then it's a project of some sort - designing a fire pit with seating for instance or reorganizing the garage. Oh, and that doesn't include all the housework I do. Plus I take a daily 40 minute power walk. Walking 30 minutes to/from work would be easy by comparison.

Do you work?!? Because with all of the housework and yardwork you’re describing it seems like you don’t. If I lived in the burbs and didn’t work I can see how I could maybe make time daily for exercise and get exercise through normal housework

But I have a job and prefer to have a job. This involves getting to the job. I don’t have time for crazy amounts of yard and housework nor do I have interest in that. I much prefer to get exercise through errands and getting to/from work. I would be heavier if I had to commute via car because I’d have to try to fit in exercise AFTER my car commute.

Of course people work and do housework and yardwork. So sad! What type of job do you have that you have not time at home. Are you young and have no seniority at work?

YOu sound like you wake, walk, work, walk and then do nothing with your life. That sounds like a sad life.

You gotta love someone who lives in the burbs bragging about all of the yardwork and house cleaning they do! Hilarious.

If your kitchen is too small to cook and you eat out all the time... you can't cook or clean. Imagine bragging about having to leave your house every time you need coffee or food.

Who said anything about that? There was no mention of cooking, coffee or food. You make all sorts of assumptions!

Pot meet kettle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at the Woodstock videos and pictures. Most of the people were skinny to average weight back then.

We have a big problem today, denying isn't the solution.

You ... think the subset of people who went to Woodstock and didn't object to being photographed there is, what -- representative of the general population at the time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Because they think they have to eat everything that's available.


I also think YOU are trying to start some shit. Let them eat and fatten themselves. It's really not your business.

I'm not sure why people are so triggered by these threads. Slightly reducing the strong explicit cultural expectation to be thin has resulted in ... people being fat. And we're shocked, shocked I tell you.

Meh. Reducing the strong explicit cultural expectation to be thin has also reduced the smoking rate. Ballerinas and models still smoke like fiends.

I think the rampant obesity will lead to far greater instances of diabetes and a while host of related ailments.

Rampant overweight or obesity? I never heard back about a PP's understanding of the n=100,000+ Danish study and various ages.

I myself am trying to stay well in the normal range, not overweight or obese. But that's about vanity, for me.

Look at all inthe other studies too. And then look at current and projected demographics.

Great, so just to be clear --- what do you think the Danish study shows about overweight and morbidity/mortality rates for various age groups?

I had originally asked the question in response to specific claims. Appreciate your answer.