STORM2K

and I thought it was a great eye opener. I hope people who watched that were unaware of the obesity issue are paying attention now. I relate so much to what was discussed and I went through the teasing (etc) in high school as well. I am on my way down now to a healthy weight (not there yet but am getting there) and the special has inspired me. Those of you who didn't see it, but are interested in learning ways to help children combat obesity can log onto http://www.abcnews.com !

Darn, I wish I would have caught it!! I too am not a very healthy weight, but have really turned around in the last 3 months and am on the losing side of the spectrum! I hope it makes people pay more attention too- ESPECIALLY new parents!!

I was always "fatty" while growing up....I could
lose a few pounds, now, but, I see that one of the
neighbors that always called me that has found
"middle-age spread".....:o

Obesity has never been a problem with me...something about my thyroid, I think (gained weight when I went on antidepressants, which brought me to "normal" for height/age).

I was pudgy in my first ten years of life until I discovered softball. It was all downhill after that. Now I can't sit still. lol. I HAVE to be doing something or I will go nuts.

I was always a size 5 or 6, until I had kids. Then I creeped up to a 10. Then a 12, bordering on a 14. I held onto some of my favorite size 5 pants, from the 80s for a long, long time. Finally got rid of them about 10 years ago. Then I had cancer and several surgeries. Didn't eat much for a year. Weight just fell off. I was back to a 6 (and some 4's), woohoo, but what a way to get there - not recommended! Suddenly I had hanging in my closet - 4's, 6's, 10's, and 12's. Now the 4's were a silly purchase - that was when I was eating so incredibly little (for fear of an intestinal blockage). They've long since gone to the Goodwill. What was I thinking? LOL Now I've settled into 8's, but I've sure been on a roller coaster ride these past 4 1/2 years! I can relate to others struggling with their diets. You can shrink your stomach, I did it. Trick is to drink a huge glass of water and trick your stomach into thinking it was food. I did this in the evenings instead of having my usual snack before bedtime. I keep saying I need to get back to light eating again, I want to stay in my 8's, a realistic size for someone my age I think.

When I was a 12, almost a 14, I did get raised eyebrows when I'd run into someone who hadn't seen me in years. As if to say - whoa, what happened? I wasn't obese or anything, but when you're skinny-skinny and then you're not, it's noticeable. I blamed it on having babies......LOL That baby weight is hard to get off if you don't do it right away.

Mary

I had a problem with weight until I went to Navy Boot Camp in 1976.....I came out a FIT, LEAN, MEAN 218 lbs., the least I've ever weighed in my adulthood, actually, I was 17 when I completed boot camp..

Now, I tip the scales at 256 lbs......a *wee-bit* of a beer belly but the biggest reason for my weight, it's mostly muscle now......I've been working on the Natalus Machines at the gym for 6 months now, my chest size went from 51" to 56" now, neck size 18 to 22".....I'm getting ready to take the AZ POST exam. (Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board).

Dennis