I Am Overweight, and I Love My Body!

By Sylvia Mayorga, 17, Staff Writer

Originally Published: Jan 27, 2006

Revised: Feb 20, 2007

I am on Prevention magazine's Web site playing with their Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator, and after a few inputs, the computer screen in front of me suddenly says:

You have a BMI of 27.98.

The next page goes on to say:

BMI between 25 and 29.9 (Overweight):

Persons falling in this BMI range are considered overweight and would benefit from finding healthy ways to lower their weight, such as diet and exercise. Individuals who fall in this range are at increased risk for a variety of illnesses.

Pryde Brown Photography
Syvia, 17

Whoa! What?

What you have just read is a calculation "in which weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters and the result [is] used as an index of obesity." Obese status, for your information, begins at 30.0 BMI. So, this calculation is telling me that I am 2.02 "BMI's" away from being obese! Now, if you look at my picture, do you think I look that close to being obese? I'm 5'2", and I wear size nine jeans. When I look in the mirror I don't see an overweight, almost obese teen. I see me—just an average girl!

Do All Teen Girls Have to Be a Size Zero to Be Cool?

I am sitting home watching Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan, and when I look at all those girls there on the screen, I think not one of them looks like me. I don't see any "overweight" or nearly "obese" girls like myself standing next to any of the popular girls. I never do when I watch television and movies and read fashion magazines. Why not?

Are teen girls being brainwashed to think we have to be a size zero? Well, if you can be a size zero and still eat healthily without having to work out for three hours a day, God bless you. But no one should be on those fad diets or pumping iron at the gym all day, especially if you are only 17. Sure, you should watch your figure, but as a teen you're still growing and you have other things to worry about as well. There's school, maybe there's a job, a boy or girlfriend or just another activity you like doing. I hate hearing size zero girls in the media saying things like, "Look at me, I'm so fat," and "I hate myself" or "Look at these disgusting love handles!" I mean, come on!

Is Body Size the Only Thing that Matters Anymore?

So what if I am a little full on the bottom? At least I can wear jeans and make them look good. I sometimes wonder if anyone notices the little things besides my body size. When people see me, can they tell that I have really straight teeth, or are they too busy looking at my "double chin"? Can they see that I have a really cool sense of style, or are they too busy throwing up from the sight of my bulging torso? Can they see that I have light brown, penetrating eyes without staring at my supposedly overly fat cheeks? My guess is no, because the only thing that people focus on now, is unfortunately, perfect bodies.

But who's to say what's perfect or not? Why can't my body type be perfect, and "skinny" be considered unsightly?

I Like Me the Way I Am!

I am happy with my body, and seriously, I could care less what anyone else thinks about it. This is what God gave me, and I love it! Yeah, I can't fit a size three around my knees if I tried, but I can do a lot of things that, maybe according to this standard, a nearly obese person like myself should not be able to do. Like, I do yoga, and I can do the difficult poses, even though sometimes, while I'm doing a handstand, my unsightly fat oozes down toward the floor over my face and impairs my breathing (he-he).

I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm happy with my life and with the things that I have accomplished so far. I've done things that most 30-year-olds haven't done, and I'm only 17 and just getting started. I love my body—overweight and all!

Your Comments

OH YEAH

Posted by: kayleegal on Oct 21st, 2008 5:36pm

I forgot. Whoever thinks that you should be pencil thin kiss
my HOURGLASS FIGURE! ( )( ) HA! | | ( )

I KNOW RIGHT?

Posted by: kayleegal on Oct 21st, 2008 5:34pm

Ok so I have breasts and a backside.So what?I may have love
handles but that doesn't make me unattractive.Actually
approximately 95% of boys like when you have a fiqure.( )(
)Who cares if I look | | like that
( )<<<<<<<<<<< Do you want me to look like this?
| |<<<<<<<<<< | | | | See my point?You
don't have to be size 0 to be sexy.I'm happy with my
hourglass figure.I dont have to be pencil then like girls
think so. I mean whatever!

Exactly!!!

Posted by: MissJoey on Oct 14th, 2008 1:43am

Just the other month I was looking at a BMI chart and it
says I'm overweight. Well I'm not. So I've got a booty and
boobs and some love handles, I'm nowhere near obese by any
standard but that damn BMI calculator. I googled "Is anyone
else sick of BMI calculators saying they're fat." too bad I
didn't find your article.

RE:hmmm....

Posted by: adorkable_princess!_~ on Sep 29th, 2008 1:35am

it's nice to have another perspective on this letter. its
good that you are a healthy young model, but you are missing
out on chocolate =) lol keep up the good work ~<3huggiez

Amen!

Posted by: Toshi12 on Jul 24th, 2008 5:06pm

You don't need numbers to tell you if you feel healthy or
not!

You're totally right

Posted by: sekkaimidori on Mar 12th, 2008 7:05am

Apparently, I'm 'at risk of being overweight' so I have to
be 93 to 147 lbs to be at a healthy weight? That's so
stupid. Why should I want to be able to see my ribcage? I
really hate the standard that teens put on themselves and
others that we have to fit into size two jeans or we're fat.
You know what? I could really care less about that stuff.
I'm fat, and I'm happy, and I'm not unhealthy, so screw the
BMI calculator. Popular girls that tease me because I don't
puke every day, puh-lease!

RE: i have a hard tine neeting people due to my weight

Posted by: DanR on Mar 3rd, 2008 10:53am

It sounds like in lack of transportation is your problem,
not your weight (especially since you were not
self-conscious in NYC) meeting girls. If you want to lose
weight for health reasons, that is one thing, and we support
you in that, but you should never try to change your body to
make someone else happy or for them to like you more. The
best way to better body image is learning to like your body
as it is, not trying to change it. Check out this FAQ:
http://www.sexetc.org/faq/body_image/733

i have a hard tine neeting people due to my weight

Posted by: zerotheshadow on Mar 2nd, 2008 3:18am

im 17,6'4,brown hair,hazel eyes, male,250lbsi use 2 live in
nyc and never felt inscure about being overweight recentaly
i move to fl 3yrs ago its hard for me to meet girls due to
the fact of lack of transportation i am always nervous of my
weight to meet girls i lost some weight but still very
insucure anybody have any advice.

the perfect body

Posted by: vissha455 on Jan 23rd, 2008 1:10pm

most people who think they have the perfect body.really
don't mostly because what they did to get that body.like
surgery,overload with diet pills,and the most famous one
starving themselfs.they know that! and to get over they'er
depression they rip on people for being what a little bit
thick then them.and that just recrutes more because they
want to have "the so called perfect bod". just be happy with
yourself cuz they'er just haters!!

RE: I have a friend

Posted by: DanR on Jan 22nd, 2008 8:52am

It sounds like you are a great friend. Just the fact that
you want to help your friend is a great beginning.
Listening to your friend, understanding and being available
to them are just some of the ways that you help them out.
Also, further educating yourself on body image is a great
way to provide support. Check out this link to get some
specifics: http://www.sexetc.org/faq/body_image/4038.