Weight Gain: Is it really a big deal?

Hi nanajanet! I adore you for doing the right thing. Telling people to be healthy and if they're overweight, telling them in the right away and not hurting their feelings. It's just so sad that kids as young as 4 years old cares to their weight as much like a 30-year-old person. It's really important to maintain the right weight and not to be over or underweight 'cause like you said, for activity reasons like dancing and stuff and for us to avoid any illnesses. Hope that you'll continue to be a good parent and teacher

Thank you, and thanks for the BR. My take on it is, unless a child is so obese that it is not healthy, and then I would approach the parents and not the child, as it is up to them, not the child, then they are fine and who cares if they are the "perfect" size. Who is to say what that is and is there even such a thing? I never grew up concerned about my weight and only started thinking about it when I was in my mid-twenties and had gained weight from pregnancy. I was not as thin as many other dancers, yet, I was slender. I did not look in the mirror and see those skinny girls and think that I wanted to be like them. I wanted boobs and to look like a woman. My parents never once made complaints about their size and weight and we never heard talk of it. Now, maybe that was that generation because we did not have all the idiotic images that you speak of being shoved down everyone's throats these days. I really fear for the health of so many young people. Even if they do not have eating disorders, some start smoking to remain thin. I had a friend who continued to smoke through her pregnancy, and one who did not. They were pregnant at the same time. Both still smoke the but one who did not stop did so because she did not want to gain a lot of weight during pregnancy. Her own vanity was more important than the health of her child. Even her mother was upset because she smoked during her first two pregnancies and they both had asthma. The other two were fine. I have seen all the crap that people will put into their bodies and I have seen a student wolf down almost half a chocolate cake and then disappear into the bathroom at a baby shower and be in there for a while, coming out smelling like mouthwash and vomit. None of this will really change until the media changes and I do not see that happening too soon. When they make comments in the papers that a star, who put on five pounds and almost stopped looking like a starved person, is getting fat and better go on a diet, when they stop hiring only beautiful people to play normal people, when they stop photo-shopping imperfections out of films and photos, then maybe, just MAYBE, it will start to change. Somehow I do not see this happening. As you can see, I am VERY passionate and angry about this. All we can do is start with ourselves and if we help one person, then we did a lot. Hugs for starting this discussion. Do not let it end on Mylot.

Many teens have low self-image to start with. That is why I feel we must be extremely sensitive on the subject and try to get their mind off of all of it. I know that I did look at girls with nice hair, and I hated mine, who were prettier, had nicer noses, better this or that, and be a bit envious, but I also did not give it too much thought other than a little here and there. No obsession for me, I had too much fun with my teens, otherwise. Thank God I had great parents.

it is true that if one is already comfortable with his/her weight, what is important is making sure that he no longer adds more weight. this is because, one is already fit and healthy in that weight. we do not have to necessarily come up with a figure which is just about those ones who are modelling in the ramps nor should we measure up to the standards of those actors and actreeses. after all, we are just normal individuals we'd better lead normal lives.

Hey savypat! Thanks for responding. Unfortunately yeah, that is the scary truth about this issue. The damaging future and the social things that would affect young ones. I do hope that more and more people would speak and stand up for this, being healthy and stuff. It doesn't even look good to be too skinny.

Hey xianshuixyz! You're right. One's definition of being healthy is what they think they are on people's sight; they tend to be so conscious with their body image especially young ones that they think being too skinny is the right thing. I think media plays a big role also here.

Yup, being sexy is being comfortable of who you are and not what others are trying to impose. It's giving importance to our body and mind to stay healthy.

Size 5 is not fat all. Yeah, I really do agree, it depends on one's "definition of fat"

I agree with you, cindi4. It's not just the weight factor that affects our health; there are plenty more and what is right is eating healthy and choosing the right foods that will help our body fight against diseases. Glad to know that your cousin made it. Thanks for the response and thanks too, carrine, I think it's just right to maintain an average weight, it's a matter of checking our BMI (Body Mass Index).

As someone who had been dieting for most of their life I would like to offer a little insight. When I focused on the weight and the scale I didn't do my health any favors. See Sawing between gaining and losing, even if if was only 5 to 10 pounds but a strain on my health. It took years for me to learn that all you need to do is focus on eating moderately, exercising moderately, and don't worry about your size. Size does not reflect how healthy you are. My cousin just had a heart attack at 46. He's tall and thin and has always been active. He has never been overweight a day in his life. He also loved french fries and was a constant worrier. Thankfully he made it, this time. Just focus on being healthy and forget the scale.

Yeah, I don't really think there's a problem with that, too. It's just sad that other people think that gaining weight is such a big issue.

Yeah, as for me, I don't really care what people around me looks like, it's a matter of accepting who we are and the self-esteem and confidence on ourselves. A little extra weight doesn't mean you're unhealthy. There are many cases that slim people suffers from cardiovascular diseases rather than an overweight one. This is just a matter of taking our body inside and choosing the right food to eat. Thanks for your response.

Yup, and there are even products that are not even medically tested to be safe and they bring it in to the market, geez, that's terrible.

Hi missybear! There's nothing really wrong about losing weight but if you're obsessed, that really too bad. You should comfortable with your weight and be confident about it.

Hey paula! Thanks for responding. I've been through "dark ages" too when I was in my teens but I'm not obsessed. I just think that I'm fat when I'm really now so I tend to diet. I see that it's really important to have guidance of a parent or a people much older to walk us through the right path and also someone's confidence and self-esteem. I feel sorry for your sister in law; I think you should have advise her if you think that it's really going to some eating disorder.