AIBU to ask if anyone else is classed as obese?

I'm 5 ft 5 in and 13 stone 8 lbs,with a BMI 31.6 which is classed as obese. Disheartening as I've lost 7 and a half stone over the last couple of years. I need to lose another 15 lbs to be in the 'overweight' category, and another 2 stone after that to be in the 'healthy' category.

5ft and 12 stone 6lbs so I'm classed as obese. That said ive been under weight as well, it dosent matter how much I weigh I'm never happy with my body

Thank you everyone for your encouraging comments! I’ll keep going, hope to maintain it this time….

I’ve been 9 stone 3lbs and 19 stone 5lbs in my adult life. Sometimes you just don’t care enough about yourself to worry about what you are eating- too many other things take priority. I’d say my average throughout my adult life is probably 14 to 15 stone. I’m quite happy in a size 14, (around 12 stone 5lbs for me) don’t feel big then just curvy. I worried about my health being 19 stone so that’s what prompted me. I was always curvy as a teenager too, got down to a size 8 for my wedding but was in size 12 by return from honeymoon! I lost 6 stone in covid as I was scared of catching it being 17 stone. Over the last 6 years have put 7 stone on. It’s a complicated relationship with food (particularly in my case ice cream, biscuits and sweets).

I lived in mainland Europe for a number of years, it’s a myth about French women all being slim, they are just like us. 66 percent of our population is overweight or obese, France it’s 50 percent.

so in this niche slim world the pp lives in where no one is bigger than a ten, it ain’t mainland Europe.

France or somewhere on the continent?
Must be a v niche part of the UK otherwise! I know loads of overweight people, and quite a few overweight children.

No, of course I don’t only associate with my family! We have lots of friends and work colleagues. Maybe it depends where people live.

If you only associate with your family (so genetically similar) and a few neighbours then that makes sense. But there are women a size 12+ everywhere - at my work, my university, my Pilates class. It is unusual that you don’t know a single person who is overweight especially because the majority of over 50s are overweight.

Eating disorders, for me. Of course I notice when I swing from six stone to 24 stone. Unfortunately not everyone has a healthy relationship with food, for all sorts of reasons and to all sorts of degrees.

I was obese in early February this year - 5'8 and 14st 10, BMI 31.3. I have since lost 30lbs and am now 12st 8 and BMI is 26.8 as of today. I need to lose another nearly 2.5st to get to my overall target weight (10st 3). I'm losing approximately 1lb per week. My target for this year is to lose 3st in total by the end of the year (11st 10lbs) then lose the remaining next year.

I'm doing this by my own made up diet of eating lots of protein and plain salad, fruit, Greek yogurt with blueberries and walnuts, a treat tiny ice cream tub daily, two squares of dark chocolate for the antioxidants. Few carbs. No bread or pasta. I'm not on any WLI due to cost and existing health problems. I do need to do more exercise. Some of my blood tests have improved slightly (autoimmune so I'm on steroids). I need to lose the remaining weight to hopefully feel better.

So, OP, you know that plenty of people are obese.

But how do you feel about it, and what are you going to do about it?

That’s a hell of an achievement. Well done.

My friends and family are all slim. Of course out and about I see overweight people but my colleagues and social circle are not. Didn’t think it’s that unusual. And we are in our fifties.

Very well done 👏 👏👏👏

Well, they are. I don’t know why you think that’s funny. No one is overweight at all.

Course they are 😂

I would think everyone I know would generally be a size 6-10, making a guess.

Yes I am. 17 stone exactly and 5’5’’. BMI of around 40 currently but have lost 33lbs in last 3 months and am aiming to get to around 12 stone (will reassess any further drop nearer the time). Weight loss through calorie deficit and exercise only.

I don’t think it’s denial it’s just become your normal… I only started to think I looked overweight at BMI 27ish. When I tell people I’ve lost 3st/22kg they all say ‘you didn’t have 3st to lose’ but it turns out I really did. I can see my face as it was meant to look, my muscles are defined, clothes of all cuts and kinds fit me, I rarely get out of breath, my feet never hurt, I don’t get overheated or heat rash….

After the weight loss you realise how much extra body fat was affecting you and that you really were unhealthy. But during you just think you’ve got a little you could lose.

I was overweight at a size 12…

Wow that’s really unusual…all your neighbours, teachers, everyoje you know. that must be fairly unique given two thirds of rhe population, so 2 of every 3 people are overweight or obese.

Obviously I’ve encountered people who are overweight but I don’t know them. My family is all slim, including my parents, so is DH’s family, my adult DC and their partners are slim, all our friends are slim and we’re all middle-aged. Obviously I don’t know anyone’s dress size but absolutely no one would be a 14. My neighbours are all slim.

I'm similar to you. I don't think I look massive either so to have the term "obese" applied to my BMI is shocking. Am I in denial? For context, I wear size 14, sometimes 12 (on top), I can touch my toes easily, I play tennis 2-3 times a week and walk the dog (up hills) daily. I don't snack and only drink (wine) at weekends. My legs in particular are rock-solid, with no wobble.

How’s that even possible, 66 percent of the population are over weighr or obese. Do you maybe not understand what overweight or obese is.? And thinking it’s like my 600lb life, in case that’s the case, then to give an idea , for most women it’s a size 14 dress is likely overweight; I’m nearly 5ft 7 and hit obese at a size 16.

it’s impossible you don’t know anyone over weight or obese unless you never leave your house.

I probably used to think similar, I’d never been overweight until last year. I carried on doing an active job and working out while I was pregnant and was back to my pre pregnancy weight a month after my baby was born.

Then I developed postnatal depression, and eventually postpartum psychosis. Never had any mental health problems before, the postpartum psychosis came totally out of the blue. Two months of being sectioned in hospital and a load of antipsychotics later, and I was overweight for the first time in my life. Antipsychotics make me eat everything in or out of sight. Once I was back home, I had a period of depression about the fact I couldn’t really remember two months of my baby’s life, which led to me becoming obese.

I’m two stone down now, one stone to go, but Christ it’s been hard work!