Aug. 10, 2007 - Stating the Obvious
I read an article yesterday where researchers had studied body weights among American women ages 30 to 60 between 1976 and 2000. They found that during that time the weight of the average women increased 20 pounds, leading them to conclude that it has become more socially acceptable for people, especially women to be heavier.
In other words, fat is the new normal, which is exactly the phrase that was used for the headline of the story.
And I thought...."Well, du-uuh!"
Maybe it's because I live in the heart of the corn-fed Midwest---land of 10,000 Chinese buffets---but this was no shock to me at all. The shocking thing is that someone spent a great deal of time studying data to come to this conclusion, when all that's really required casual observation. I'm not *that* old (or at least I like to think that anyway) but back in my day people were smaller. When I was in high school, I would never have been caught dead letting my gut hang out over my pants and under my shirt--let alone tanning it, piercing it and giving it a cute name like mushroom top. There for a while it was like that extra flab hanging out there was just another fashion accessory!
"Wow! Brittney, your mushroom top is hot! Have you been working out?"
"Yeah, I totally stuffed my face at the Mexican restaurant all last summer."
Thankfully, the shirts are a little longer than they were a couple of years ago when the pants were low and the shirts were high and in between lie the mushroom top. But it's still pretty obvious that fat is the not-so-new normal---no scientific study required.
Comments
Aug. 10, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by crossroadsmama
I love your attitude...love your blog! I almost peed my pants reading this.
Go COLTS!
A fellow hoosier,
Christine
Aug. 10, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sunydazy
So true!
I keep telling my kids "People just didn't walk around like that when I was young!"
Socially acceptable? I think it's just socially common...but to lots of people it's still unacceptable...they just don't speak out.
A return to dignity would be so refreshing!
I think it's time for some of us who need extra money to come up with a silly study...I could handle traveling around for a few years interviewing and 'testing' people to prove some sort of goofy point. I wonder what money is available in grant form?Should we brainstorm this further?
Aug. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by TC
HA! You are so right. Who needs research when you've got two eyeballs?
I still have some sewing patterns that I used way back in high school & college - you know, back when Moses was a baby. The measurements for a size 20 back then put you in a size 14 today. Politicians aren't the only ones who know how to spin ...
