Women and Obesity

Understanding the Overweight Woman &
Her Obesity Problem

Unfortunately, women and obesity seem to go together in our modern world. So, learn about the overweight woman and how to tackle the obesity problem in women...

When I decided to start building this site about weight loss, I knew I wanted to make it about people like me... middle-aged, overweight women. Why? Because I knew I was not alone, not by a long shot.

Overweight and obesity are big problems among women in my age group. Since the early 70s, BMI levels have been rising in women faster than they have in men.

And for the past decade, women's overall BMI averages have been higher than men's. The good news is that increases in the numbers of obese people, including women, have slowed down over the past decade..

Men, Women and Obesity - The Experience Is Different

Many studies have shown that the obesity problem for women is experienced quite differently than it is for men. Here are a few ways in which life is different for the overweight woman than it is for the overweight man:

• Quality of life declines as weight increases in a woman. While overweight men report more problems with physical functioning, overweight women talk more about low self esteem and an unfulfilled life.

• It costs more to be overweight when you're a woman than it does for a man. It seems there's much more of a stigma in the workplace against overweight women. Overweight or obese men are not as likely to experience the lack of promotions, lower salaries and loss of jobs that the overweight woman often does. Add to that the loss of productive work time because of obesity-related illness, and you can see why obesity is expensive.

• Physicians tend to treat obesity in women differently than they do obesity in men. Physicians tend to recommend weight loss to women who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 to 30) than to men who are of equal height and weight. On the other hand, they are less likely to recommend that obese women (with a BMI >30) lose weight than they are to recommend it to obese men.

• Women's attitudes towards obesity tend to be different than men's too. Women are less likely to have a negative reaction to an overweight or obese person. Women are also more likely to believe in programs like Weight Watchers, etc.

So What Does All This Women and Obesity Talk Mean for You?

Well, I guess the point I'm trying to make is... partly, that as women, we have the deck stacked a bit against us on a lot of fronts. But also, as women, we are strong and capable and we can DO this. We CAN lose weight!

I know you want a better quality of life than you've had, don't you? You want to be able to be there for your loved ones... to do your job to the best of your ability... to participate in all the fun and exciting activities being overweight has kept you from, right?

I'm extending hope to you... and the belief that no matter how many pounds overweight you are... even if it's 100 pounds or double that... it is always possible to change your life and lose the weight. It won't happen overnight... but it WILL happen. Believe me, and believe in yourself.

So let's break the connection between women and obesity. Make the overweight woman you've been a distant memory. The future is ours to grab... we just have to try!

Also in This Section

• Risks of Being Overweight

• Benefits of Losing Weight

• Statistics on Overweight Americans

• How Do You Know if You Are Overweight?

• What Is Obesity?

• What Is BMI?

• Menopause & Weight Gain

Here's some inspirational stories for you to see:

• My weight loss success
• Jill's weight loss story
• Start your own success story