Fat is the New Thin

According to this the new normal is to be overweight, and the medically  ideal weight for height and age is now being perceived as being underweight.  The article says that this can lead to a worsening off the obesity epidemic:

This lack of reality around body weight and diet is considered to be one of the many barriers in the nation’s growing obesity epidemic. We’ve become more “numb” to overweight and obesity because it’s everywhere; a person who is of normal weight actually appears to be the one who doesn’t fit in anymore.

Back in April 2010 I blogged about how pictures of circus fat men and women from the early part of the 20th century didn't look all that freakish.   The pictures showed overweight people that were so unusual for the time that people actually paid to see them.

These circus fat people don't seem all that unusual anymore.   In fact, you probably see people just like them anytime you go to the mall.

That's because fat is the new thin, We've grown so adjusted to seeing overweight people, that people who are just slightly overweight are now considered "thin," and those who are at their medically ideal weight are considered underweight.