When do people start caring about their weight?

[Weinbynight]

The majority seems not to care what they look like these days!

[zalew]

I think it stems from what others say to you as you grow up.

If anyone comments on your weight being high or low it stays in your head and can become an issue that you had never even thought about before. I don't think we would care if we are being told how good we look as we grow up I think it is the negative comments that plant the weight worry seed in our brains. I think those who are confident in their less than ideal bodies have been raised by non judgmental families who see them as perfect and protect them from hurtful people.

Others who we would class as having a normal weight or a very attractive body may feel fat or skinny if they have been judged and commented on about their shape in an negative way.

It boils down to your self awareness and if you are fooling yourself, beating up on yourself or just don't give a toss...

[snowangle]

I'm chubby, but in my healthy weight range. I recently got sick and lost 13 pounds, but before that happened I was getting kinda close to being overweight. I started exercising and eating healthy and lost a pound or two, but then I got sick and lost a whole bunch hahaha.

So I guess, to answer your question, I started caring when I got close to being overweight.

[PhilaPenn]

It depends on the culture they come from. I'm black, and in my culture overweight women are almost becoming the norm. I've seen girls bullied in high school and college, because they were NOT overweight. That's crazy. I've dated Hispanic girls, asian, and white girls. I think that in the Hispanic community being overweight isn't looked down on. But in the white and Asian communities my experience has been that it's the opposite. My opinion: everyone should care about their weight a lot, and strive to be as healthy as possible. Food is not entertainment, eating is not a hobby. You eat to sustain yourself, not because you like the act of stuffing food into your face.

[martyfellow]

I think too many people think they look cool when they are fat! Like, they don't have to care what other people think, they're such high-status people.

[may04]

I've been obsessed since 6th grade when I started getting fat/teased for it...I'm sure most people have the self awareness of being overweight but are at a loss to fix it. Changing your lifestyle is hard and it's easy to fall back into bad habits and give up

[ZenQueen]

For me it was when I was three years old, I refused to wear my winter coat because it made me look fat! Lots of people never worry about it, I kind of wish I was like that, but health is my life and I would never change that, I am always striving to be a better person, physically, mentally, etc.

[WoIIie]

You either do or you don't. For most cases it has to do with homogenizing within a given culture. If the culture consists a bunch of careless hicks who shamelessly showcase their guts and attitudes, it's going to be very hard to convince them that eating healthy and having self respect is worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

I think MOST people care what they look like. Some like more meat on the bones, others eat because of other reasons (filling a void, usually). Just because they're fat doesn't mean they don't care. In fact, most fat people I've known have been very self conscious about their bodies. I know I was when I was fat.

[peace-love-couture]

People in America don't care about their weight because fat has become the new average and they feel as though average men and women should be represented well and say, not viewed as less attractive...to each their own.

[justme20]

They care but food is more important