In Renaissance times a portly person had status. They were the upper echelon. Being rotund meant that you could afford to eat well. Today's "ideal" body image was decided in most part by the fashion industry. Curvy models were being used less and less because the clothing was being ignored. In the 1960s with the onset of models like Twiggy; the game changed. No longer could women like Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe be considered for fashion modeling. Thin was now in... However, mother nature and genetics might have something to say about this.
Medical issues that can contribute to weight retention are being diagnosed every day. Poly cystic ovarian syndrome is caused in large part by a hormonal imbalance thus producing more testosterone (the male hormone) in women and inhibiting estrogen production (the female hormone). Some symptoms of PCOS include infertility, amenorrhea, and weight gain. In many cases this causes type 2 diabetes. The
US Department of Health and Human Services states, "Between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women of childbearing age has PCOS. As many as 5 million women in the United States may be affected. It can occur in girls as young as 11 years old".
As a woman who has PCOS I have tried every diet and exercise regime. I rode my bike 20 miles a day for a year and gained muscle mass but never lost a single ounce of fat. I am a busy woman, I eat 3 relatively sensible meals a day and I have been diagnosed with adult onset type 2 diabetes. I sometimes wonder what people think of me when they see me. "I bet all she does is sit around all day and eat!", "We cannot hire her, no work would ever get done.", "Lock the refrigerator!", and my all time favorite, "Save the whales, harpoon the fat chicks!. These are just some of the remarks I have encountered in my 35 years. I would love to conform to what society thinks as healthy. I would be happy to be thinner and never have to take another pill again, but until a miracle cure for PCOS is available; I have to be who I am and hope people can look past the fat and see the real me.
