"Sure I'm overweight. I can't do anything about it. So what?""If the only guys I had to pick from were not overweight, it would be pretty slim pickings (pardon the pun)."
"I was noticeably overweight when I got married, and so was he. Neither of us minded, why should you?"
"So what if I'm overweight. I know it, and I don't care if other people know it. As long as I'm not obese, what's the big deal?"
"Yeah, I wear clothes that show off my bulging waste. But I think it's kind of sexy, and so does my husband."
"I love Victoria Secret's thong underwear. I love showing it off when I bend over. It makes me feel sexy even with my 40 extra pounds."
"I've got too much else to worry about – two kids, an overworked husband, and money pressures. I'll worry about my weight when I have time and patience to deal with it."
"Bigger or smaller, I'm the same person. That's all that really matters. My extra weight is not a concern."
Weigh the differences in generations
For older adults, excess weight is about health. And beauty. Even sensuousness. Serious if silent concerns.
But something has shifted, in America. Something significant has changed. With 6 in ten adults overweight or obese, (a dangerous statistic if there were one), younger adults don't care. Those that do care use Weight Watchers like a McDonald's – a drive-up service you use periodically to drop a few pounds (only to regain it later, plus some extra).
Is this what weight control has become – a non-serious subject? With so many overweight, and "sexy" being redefined – short of lap-band surgery, should we really care?
Some have compared being overweight to being a smoker. It's a personal choice and the larger society has no stake in it, nor should they care.
Is being overweight a non-issue?
Others don't see overweight anymore. It's just the way it is. Personal or not, it's a non-issue.
Of course being overweight is personal. Deeply personal. For some.
What should it be? Is there a "should"?
What is it for you?
VP Programs Development, ScaleDown for Life
VP Education, GoZonkers Inc.
Founder, CelebrateLifeNutrition.com – Satisfy Your Hunger
©2009 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.
