Obesity: More Socially Acceptable

No doubt you've heard -- and of course seen -- that obesity among American women living here in the U.S. has become more socially acceptable. So found a a study in of Economic Inquiry that we learned about from kaisernetwork.org.

How could so many ladies let their bodies pack on those pounds?

Apparently, fat is almost the new norm, because more than one-third of us women ages 20 and older are obese, the Washington Times reports.

Apparently, what's driving these women to obesity are lower food prices, larger portions, changes in what's medically acceptable and in ideals of beauty and self-perception.

Researchers Frank Heiland, assistant professor of economics at Florida State University, and Mary A. Burke, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and found the average weight of women ages 30 to 60 has increased by 20 pounds (14 percent) since 1976.

In addition, 18 percent more women weigh more than 300 pounds today than they did 30 years ago, a shocking finding you can learn from the Florida State University press release.

The researchers also found that in 1994 the average woman weighed 147 pounds and said she wanted to weight 132 pounds. But by 2002, the average woman weighed 153 pounds and said she wanted to weight 135 pounds.

These new findings are related to other conclusions recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine that we told you about previously. For that study, researchers discovered that obesity spreads through social networks.

So, come on, readers, let's make slim or average weight the norm. Don't let fat continue to take over America and become the easily accepted norm!

Special thanks Karen James for her help on this item for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog.