Obesity seems to be in the limelight

Obesity seems to be in the limelight far more now than ever before and of course its because magazines and the media in general portray thin like sticks as glamourous models that we should all aspire to. I understand that the ratio of young girls becoming anorexic is far greater now than ever before. I have always been on the heavy side (just my bloody luck) which means that as you get older the weight probem becomes more of an issue and one which is harder to deal with - even if you had time to do so. EVERYONE puts on weight once you reach 40 - 50 and then, unless you happen to have stick like parents, your metabolism becomes almost non existant! I have however recently read a book explaining the body functions, digestion, menopause etc., and by understanding more about my body I have, for the first time in my life, started to eat 'properly' meaning easily digestable foods and not drinking a bottle of wine a night to drown my sorrows about being so heavy. But this has only come in later life - I feel so sorry for those kids going through teen years and early 20's who probably are not interested in reading about one's digestive system! But I do think some form of programme, maybe a comedy - should be introduced to get these kids to understand that it's not wrong to put on weight and some people can never be slim but understand what your body is and how it works - and that's the best you can do.

if you are happy then it does not matter

My personal opinion is that if you are happy then it does not matter how you feel. Personally, I know I should do something about my weight because it is effecting my health (back problem) and I do feel unfit. It does not make me feel sad or depressed but I just know that I will do something about it - anyway my dance rehearsals for my show are keeping me fit

entirely wrong to promote obesity

think it is entirely wrong to promote obesity as a positive body image, if someone promoted a severe anorexic as a positive body image they would be jumped upon from a great height. You slate fashion mags etc for promoting thinness so what on earth do you think you're doing? Obese
people are, generally, very unhealthy. I reckon if you and I had to race to catch a train I'd beat you hands down, by the time you were even half way to getting your breath back I would probably have got my seat and ordered a cafe latte and a muffin and my pulse rate would have returned to normal. Please don't even think about saying fat is the new black with all those poor fat little kids out there who will probably die before their parents being brainwashed
into thinking it is now fashionable to pig out, lounge on the sofa all day and get bigger and bigger. Why not promote a normal healthy way of life? Surely that would be better, normal shapes are ok, like the Dove advert, promoting normal shaped women. And exercise? What about exercise? Our bodies are made to exercise, that's what we
are meant to do, we are NOT meant to slob and stuff our faces with food, the resulting overweight nation is proof of that. Why don't we just call smoking "the new black" or drinking ourselves stupid????

Positve Image = Image that is Positive = NOT Negative

You obviously view fat people negatively. Not all fat people fit that stereotype that you and many many people in the world have. I do coz I feel down about myself so I dont have the self worth to get out 'there' like you feel so comfy doing coz I dont want to run into people like you who will look at me and then look disgusted. Fat people are people with lives, love lives, family lives, work lives, hobbies, interests - the same as slim people and we need to be portrayed for the people we are. The norm in the media portrays fat people in the stereotypical role you describe.
Well hows about an Ally McBeal type of programme with a fat woman as the centre character... that isnt promoting obesity its simply showing an obese woman dealing with every day situations. Thats coz nobody has the courage to stand up to people like you who would sneer and say oh no they are abnormal 'they' dont lead a normal life. Well many of us do - and more coverage in the media would show you and others, including young obese people that, there are many many versions of normal out there and you and they are one of them so its ok to be you/them.
I respect your views but had to share mine, I hope you respect mine as I have yours, even though I am a fat person!
Alison Bradley
Nottingham

Reositve Image = Image that is Positive = NOT Negative

I feel that is can be very hard for a slim person to understand, how another person comes to be quite high in mass - relative to the slim person. I think condemning persons of high mass because they have a HBM is quite futile. Interestingly many persons who gain very readily, have high insulin levels - this aids in their laying down fat very readily. Skinny people sometimes are far more diabetic in type, with relatively lousy insulin levels - sure they are slim but not necessarily healthier, from the diabetic point of view. Some of them go on to have heart disease and its quite possible for a slim person to have a heart attack.

The point is, that some o'weight persons are inherently quite healthy specimens indeed but their mass has got a bit high. Encouraging results are being obtained with low energy diets for certain o'weight persons. I have lost 60 pounds myself that way and am now at normal weight. Again, its pointless to condemn high massed persons for being such but I can see your point about it being important that we not push o'weight as being perfectly acceptable - because from the health point of view, its not! I have never in 20 years or more, met a high massed person who doesn't want to be trimmer. I was one of them! best wishes from Lizzie M of Central Vic Australia.

Reositve Image = Image that is Positive = NOT Negative

"Some of them go on to have heart disease and its quite possible for a slim person to have a heart attack."

!

What a killer quote.

Become obese! Be immune to heart attacks!