I Am Overweight, and I Love My Body!

By Sylvia Mayorga, 17, Staff Writer

Originally Published: Jan 27, 2006

Revised: Oct 4, 2010

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

RE: Sympathize

Posted by: DanR on Jun 24th, 2010 12:06pm

Unfortunately, the media does that to a lot of people. Gets
our minds to focus on the things we don't like, instead of
the things we do like. What we need to each do individually
is work a little bit everyday to change our way of looking
at our own bodies. All the people in the world telling you
that you look good means nothing if you do not believe it
yourself.

thank you for writing this story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: gmaggie15 on Jun 16th, 2010 8:56pm

i love this story because it was both funny and
encouraging.I am 15 years old about a little over 160, 5'4
and i look good.I might not be able to wear a bathing suit
or shorts cause i just dont want to be started at oh no.But
i wear i lot of cutie thing.I hate when my friends and
teachers who are skinny means called themselves fat.so what
I am, i would say. i might nbot know how other overweight
teen feel.cause i dont look it but feel like it.i want to
tell all does size zero please eat healty

Sympathize

Posted by: Brindi on Jun 9th, 2010 11:16pm

i am 5'5 and weigh 135. thats a little overweight, but not
much. and im aware that alot of it is muscle. but my belly
has a layer of fat on it, and i have some love handles. my
friends tell me i look great, but i don't feel like it. the
media has made us focus on perfect, so i can't feel good
about my muscled thighs and calves, or my incredible abs. i
only focus on my slight problems that most people don't even
notice.

I agree

Posted by: frogluva700 on Mar 31st, 2010 1:41pm

This was really encouraging to me because I'm 5'5 and I
weigh 160. I can't wear small jeans, or tight-fitting
shirts, but I still love me. It's great to know that there
are others out there who feel the same way.

you are soooo right!!! =)

Posted by: amber254 on Nov 8th, 2009 10:16pm

ur story is sooo rite i mean im a 17 year old about 2 be 18
in 3months and im fat im 5'8 and weigh about 190 but i dont
care lol i got the curves to rock this body!!! lol i love my
body and girls who are just like us should love their body 2

Exaxctly!

Posted by: brandivaughn on Jul 19th, 2009 1:19am

I feel fat all the time, and I know I'm not! Cursed
television and the media. It' ridiculous! Thank you for
sharing your story! May it be an influence to many young
girls! :)

a guy for a girl

Posted by: jta21abr on Jun 21st, 2009 1:16am

you know i am a guy and i havent had a problem keeping fit
since my dad is a fitness trainer and i am a hockey player.
i hate really skinny girls though. you will never see
someone withe me that is really skinny. either you feel like
you are going to break them when you give them a hug or they
are just jerks. i have noticed as a junior in high school
that all the skinny girls arent so nice. and some people go
for the why they look and all they get is sex but you go for
a cool one and you get nic

body image

Posted by: sbarrow7288 on Apr 30th, 2009 5:17pm

well im 17 and girls now adays want to be a size zero but i
weigh 115 lbs and instead of liking my size i want to be
bigger and it might sound weird but i HATE being small and
im a size 4

I don't agree

Posted by: ICW on Apr 25th, 2009 11:57am

You aren't the picture of health but neither are you a
picture of obesity. If you are happy being moderately
healthy then good for you. Mental health and physical
health are separate entities that influence each other but
remain separate. And don't say you don't care what other
people think of you when you really do. If you didn't care
what other people thought of you then you would live with no
inhibition at all.

YOU GO GIRL

Posted by: dallor on Apr 6th, 2009 3:10pm

You're totally right. If you're happy and healthy and YOU
feel great don't let any chart, machine or person change
that by saying you're fat. Girls with curves get the best
guys,jobs and has great self esteem. If someone doesn't
tell you how beautiful you r well guess what: YOU R
BEAUTIFUL.(This is to everyone)