Why losing and maintaining is so much harder than it looks

 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1

Very informative article!

I was just about to come here and put a link up to this myself, so thanks!

It's a good article but as this article www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2011/12/29/the_new_york_times_ magazine_the_fat_trap_and_the_impossibility_of_lasting_weigh t_loss.html shows, there are some problematic trains of thought.

I particularly loved this quote:

"Fat has become so deeply pathologized in our society that behaviors considered indicators of anorexia or orthorexia when performed by thin people are endorsed by the medical establishment when performed by fat people."

 Very true! It seems like a large number of us, if we want to try to maintain a "normal" weight, have to turn into hidden anorexics. I've found lately that, since I have less time than ever to exercise, I have to eat around 1200 calories a day just to maintain my current weight. I'm by no means skinny! It just isn't fair!

Interestingly, when looking into the "Dukan Diet" that a friend recommended, it asks you a bunch of questions about the most you've ever weight, most you've ever lost, number of diets you've been on, etc. and then determines what your true weight should be (vs. simply looking at your height to determine this.) Just for fun I did it and I was told I should aim to weight and maintain 174lbs for life even though that is still 20 lbs above even the lowest "normal BMI" number for my height. Not that I am endorsing that diet or anything but it seems to be the first time I've seen anything take into consideration the theory that people who have been morbidly obese, even if we've lost the weight, are just fundamentally different than people who never have been and thus it's unrealistic and even harmful to encourage us to aim for a 22-24 BMI.  

It's nice to see science finally being recognized that proves beyond a doubt that we really can diet and exercise ourselves to death and not get the same results a naturally thin person would.

 And just very validating, because I've often felt like I was going crazy!

That was a very interesting article. I also enjoyed the comments.