I have to admit that I generally only know “roughly” what I weigh since I rarely step on a scale, because, like Christina, I think there is too much emphasis on weight. I make a conscious effort to severely restrict sugar intake, and I avoid unhealthy (‘junk’) foods. I exercise almost daily, I park in the farthest spot from the store, and I take the stairs instead of the elevator when I only need to go up or down a few floors. I do these things because, like you, I want to live a healthy life that includes being physically active and mobile for as long as possible, but also because by staying active I don’t have to ever worry about dieting. My doctor tells me that my body-age is close to twenty years younger than my chronological age, and that’s my only goal – not a number on a scale.

Being a healthy, normal weight isn’t hard, but it is more challenging than it was in decades past…….unhealthy, junk foods are not only more plentiful but cheaper as well…….fresh produce, seafood, and hormone-free meat do cost more, and more processed foods are higher in sugar, HFCS, and sugar substitutes (also unhealthy) now than ever in history, so it truly does take some effort to be healthy. What we need is massive reform in the food industry, but until that happens people simply need to make a choice in how to spend their dollars – on being healthy by eating better, or – as you mention – on expensive diet programs, plastic surgery, or continually buying larger-sized clothing.

“Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on diet supplements and plastic surgery, that money could be saved for a weekend trip away from the stress of sorting out an onslaught of mass media messages.”

It’s interesting how body size has become such a preoccupation in our culture that even people of “normal” size (which is of course, in the eye of the beholder/culture and can change on a whim) have to deal with people commenting on their weight. And I’d venture to guess this is more often true for women than men. But it shows me how disconnected we are as a society that there is this need to pull others up or down (i.e. people trying to feed you another cookie) to a ‘level the playing field’ of sorts.

I believe that like height, we all have a natural weight our bodies would settle on if we didn’t have the processed foods (and I know that word is SO overused these days, and therefore many people gloss right over it) that are so prevalent in our culture. The thing is about those processed foods, and sugars really, is that they can be as additive as alcohol or drugs. And they can have the same impact as alcohol or drugs on our organs, hormones, and metabolism, damaging each of these systems so that over time, it becomes harder to lose weight (and leads to a host of many illnesses). It’s a vicious cycle that in some ways, depends on the individual’s genetic chemistry, how their body and emotional system process and deal with stress, chemicals in our environment, and a variety of other factors.

There is no easy answer for a culture that often uses food because they are unhappy in their office job. Or disconnected from the foods their body really craves because they are too expensive or they were never fed those foods. Or just don’t know any better because of all the conflicting information. Or do know better but are addicted to foods without even realizing it.

The one thing I would disagree with you about is “It is one thing to compliment someone on healthy weight loss or gain.” I actually think these types of comments help to perpetuate our culture’s obsession with weight. Unfortunately, we don’t know based on a person’s weight whether they are healthy or not, and we don’t know how they came about the weight loss or gain. And sadly, most people who lose weight will eventually gain it again because it was due to a diet instead of a sustainable lifestyle change. They tend to feel bad about themselves partly due to the fact that they got so many compliments when they lost the weight, making them feel more worthy, and now they receive no comments, making them feel less worthy.

I think part of the answer to the obesity epidemic is taking the focus off of weight completely, and working toward a culture that strives for deep and profound happiness for its citizens in ways that are truly satisfying, which food will never fulfill.

I can really relate to this. I am ‘normal’ sized with a BMI of 21.9, and I really HATE when people say anything about my weight. It’s like they want me to be fatter, or they want to believe that it’s pure luck that I had to kill myself on the treadmill just to be ‘normal.’ Luck has nothing to do with it–smart choices do. I don’t diet, I just live my life, work out, and have a cookie when I want one.