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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By 2030, overweight Americans will make up 85% of the population. Even now, 60+% of girls are overweight by age 11. Something is going on, probably many factors, but it isn't good. The cost on the healthcare system will either bankrupt this country or people will be living miserably with no proper healthcare (or probably some combination.)

The statistics show that it is affecting women more than men, but not by huge margins. Men are overweight and obese in unprecedented numbers as well.

This is why this thread is important. But the last one was deleted...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is, but I wonder a lot. I'm a professor in my 40s with two kids and walk around campus wondering why I am thinner than these girls in their late teens/early 20s. When I was in high school, my friends and I went to the gym, went running, etc and continued that in college. Is that still common among high school kids?

If they are forced to eat dorm food, the food is usually extremely unhealthy hence the term Freshman 15.

[i]Yeah and this isn't exactly new. I went to college in 1995 and the freshman 15 was a phenomenon then too. Add heavy drinking to unlimited dorm food. That doesn't help.

Yeah me too. Difference is that we started at a normal weight and then gained 15 pounds during freshman year. These kids today are starting out fat and getting fatter in college.

My favorite character in the ghostbusters movie but no way did I ever want to have that body shape when I was younger. I still don't.

[Anonymous]

Too much YOLO from the young folks. They don’t realize hard work and dedication takes to stay skinny.

But in addition the US food is made of junk and sugar. It’s definitely more pronounced her in the US.

[Anonymous]

They don't value the hard work and dedication you spent on being skinny. They have other things to do.

It's healthier to be a certain range in overweight than to be underweight or, actually, normal weight. We covered this in another thread.

[Anonymous]

It's a combo of factors including:

endocrine disruptors in the environment

chemicals in foods

antidepressants

paradoxical effects of stimulants like adderall...can take away appetite and make someone super skinny, but theory is years later may make same person super fat

body positive messages might need to be mixed with health messages. It's OK to be overweight if your bloodwork, etc says you are healthy, but if not, let's aim for health. Instead, we focus too much on making everyone feel no matter the size it's fine, when health should be part of it.

Both overweight moms and anorexic moms (who are able to get pregnant) put their fetuses at risk of obesity later on according to some articles I read a while back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because sometimes we come from badly dysfunctional families and ate our feelings.

Thankfully, some of us untangle that mess at some point and lose the weight, and are in better shape at 40 than 30 or 20 or even 10, but you never know what someone else has been through.

Surely those same problems existed in previous decades when most women were not so heavy at such younger ages.

Please in previous decades we didn’t have food science cranking out prepackaged snack foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't value the hard work and dedication you spent on being skinny. They have other things to do.

It's healthier to be a certain range in overweight than to be underweight or, actually, normal weight. We covered this in another thread.

Yeah, if you're 60. Before then, not so much. At 20? No. At 6? Really not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weird you singled out females when it’s just as bad among males.

I was at a restaurant recently and thought a group of guys next to me were all 30s/40s. Nope, they were frat boys. I couldn’t believe how bad they looked for early 20s- overweight, lines on their faces, hunched over posture, etc. I used to think it would be fun to have a fling with a much younger man but now I’m not so sure.

You don’t want to sit across from a guy in his 20s who breaks out in a flop sweat while eating? What’s wrong with you?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because sometimes we come from badly dysfunctional families and ate our feelings.

Thankfully, some of us untangle that mess at some point and lose the weight, and are in better shape at 40 than 30 or 20 or even 10, but you never know what someone else has been through.

Surely those same problems existed in previous decades when most women were not so heavy at such younger ages.

Please in previous decades we didn’t have food science cranking out prepackaged snack foods.

I grew up in the 80s and bet to differ.

We didn't have daily venti fraps, that's true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because sometimes we come from badly dysfunctional families and ate our feelings.

Thankfully, some of us untangle that mess at some point and lose the weight, and are in better shape at 40 than 30 or 20 or even 10, but you never know what someone else has been through.

Surely those same problems existed in previous decades when most women were not so heavy at such younger ages.

Please in previous decades we didn’t have food science cranking out prepackaged snack foods.

Agree with this. Food “scientists” have created garbage that is as addicting as possible. They’ve gotten better at it with time and now it’s an actual addiction to food.

[Anonymous]

Feminism, don't worry they won't attract a mate and will Darwin out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They don't value the hard work and dedication you spent on being skinny. They have other things to do.

It's healthier to be a certain range in overweight than to be underweight or, actually, normal weight. We covered this in another thread.

Yeah, if you're 60. Before then, not so much. At 20? No. At 6? Really not.

AMEN!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird you singled out females when it’s just as bad among males.

I was at a restaurant recently and thought a group of guys next to me were all 30s/40s. Nope, they were frat boys. I couldn’t believe how bad they looked for early 20s- overweight, lines on their faces, hunched over posture, etc. I used to think it would be fun to have a fling with a much younger man but now I’m not so sure.

You don’t want to sit across from a guy in his 20s who breaks out in a flop sweat while eating? What’s wrong with you?!

PP here, this made me literally lol.

Unfortunately I think the majority of men of all age groups are like this. Almost all of my female friends are in better shape and have fewer health problems than their husbands. I’d blame work but this is true even among couples where the husband works less or doesn’t work at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a combo of factors including:

endocrine disruptors in the environment

chemicals in foods

antidepressants

paradoxical effects of stimulants like adderall...can take away appetite and make someone super skinny, but theory is years later may make same person super fat

body positive messages might need to be mixed with health messages. It's OK to be overweight if your bloodwork, etc says you are healthy, but if not, let's aim for health. Instead, we focus too much on making everyone feel no matter the size it's fine, when health should be part of it.

Both overweight moms and anorexic moms (who are able to get pregnant) put their fetuses at risk of obesity later on according to some articles I read a iwhile back.

Well said. It’s also US food which is mostly GMO ( even organic food. Most of my coworkers (elementary school) live on protein shakes. I tried various kinds but was unable to consume them aa I got terrible indigestion. When I am overseas I manage to lose s considerable amount of weight without trying. Not in the US...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a combo of factors including:

endocrine disruptors in the environment

chemicals in foods

antidepressants

paradoxical effects of stimulants like adderall...can take away appetite and make someone super skinny, but theory is years later may make same person super fat

body positive messages might need to be mixed with health messages. It's OK to be overweight if your bloodwork, etc says you are healthy, but if not, let's aim for health. Instead, we focus too much on making everyone feel no matter the size it's fine, when health should be part of it.

Both overweight moms and anorexic moms (who are able to get pregnant) put their fetuses at risk of obesity later on according to some articles I read a while back.

Former obese woman who lost 55 pounds on her own. I’d like doctors to be more active themselves, active in helping patients, and for all health insurance to change to push healthier lifestyles.

Some direct changes I’d like in the medical field -

- It really made no sense to me that half of the doctors I saw (male and female) were startlingly overweight but chastising me for the same thing. Public-facing doctors should be fit.

- instead of weighing (female) patients, especially children, before every appointment why not have every health check-up be tagged to an exercise component. Have the doctors or nurse do a light jog with the patient or some cardio.

- Insurance companies should give a cashback incentive for participants who hit a certain BMI every month. Automatic gym memberships included. Discounts on local farmers co-ops etc