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Season 14 of The Biggest Loser premiered last weekend, featuring three teenagers for the first time ever, and critics are in an uproar. There’s so much controversy surrounding the decision to include teens on the show, and I’m finding myself kind of angry about the criticism.

Why is it so bad that there’s a show helping obese teens lose weight? It’s not like they have 100-pound cheerleaders competing. These are actual obese teens who can’t do normal teen things because they’re so overweight. These are teens who want to change their lifestyles.

Critics of the choice are saying that having teens on the show presents a confusing message and perpetuates body image issues. Huffington Post Teen Associate Editor Carolyn Gregoire said:

“You see adults on the show who are running until they fall, until they’re vomiting, and they’re being yelled at. We don’t want to be sending that message to a vulnerable young person who can be very triggered by seeing this kind of activity. I don’t think that shame and creating a fat-phobic culture is a motivating way to tell people they need to be healthy.”

It appears that most of the critics haven’t even seen the show. The teens aren’t doing the same tasks as the adults. The kids don’t even participate in weigh-ins, and they don’t get eliminated. Longtime trainer Bob Harper says:

“With the kids, we wanted to do exactly the opposite of when we work with the adults. We do no breaking down, just lifting up … It’s about getting kids to move around again and getting kids to be kids.“

Isn’t this better than shows like Teen Mom and 16 And Pregnant? I know those shows are controversial on their own, but why is there so much backlash about kids getting healthy? This theory that all teens who watch the show will get body dysmorphic disorder and become fat-phobic is absurd. I think if anything, seeing obese teens get their lives back will be inspiring and helpful.

Surely there are obese teens watching that will aim to make changes in their lives. I don’t think this is going to send teens into an eating-disorder frenzy. The show never encourages contestants to starve themselves. It encourages healthy ways to lose weight, healthy workouts, healthy everything.

It’s also kind of insulting to the teen population that these critics think so little of their intelligence. Y’all are smart. You’re not going to think you’re fat simply because three teens on a show are working out and losing weight to you know, not be obese anymore.

I think having teens on The Biggest Loser is great. I hope these teens have so much success on the show that producers decide to have an all-teen series.

What do you think about there being teen contestants? Do you think it will help other overweight teens? Do you think it will be harmful? Tell me what you think in the comments!

Since we’re talking about weight, Facebook could be the culprit for those extra pounds!

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One of the most popular resolutions out there is to lose weight, so I know that some of you are striving to reach some sort of weight loss goal. If you’re looking to live a generally healthier lifestyle, that’s great! But if you’re freaking out over a few pounds that have been annoying you for the past few years, and if you’re giving up your favorite foods to torture yourself with unrealistic diets, you might want to tone it down a little.

Here’s a new reason to stop stressing over those extra few pounds: a new study shows that people who are only slightly overweight will live longer than those people who are at a “normal” weight. The study focused on about three million people and discovered that those whose B.M.I. (body mass index) ranked them as being overweight actually had less of a risk of dying than people who were at a “normal” weight. Experts say this report is the largest and most carefully done of it’s kind, meaning it’s pretty legit.

While this is kind of awesome news for those of us who are constantly feeling like losing the last 10 pounds would change our lives, there are other things you need to take into account when considering your health and weight. This research studied B.M.I.’s, but it didn’t focus on an individual’s cholesterol or blood pressure or other stuff like that. Doctors pointed out to the New York Times that looking only at someone’s B.M.I. is “an imperfect measure of the risk of mortality.”

It’s also important to realize that being more than slightly overweight is still dangerous to your health, so don’t get too comfortable. I definitely wouldn’t advise you to cut out healthy eating all together and start pigging out on cartons of ice cream. This study basically means that it’s not as big of a deal as we thought to carry some extra pounds – in fact, those extra pounds actually seem to help us.

As I’m sure a lot of you know, it’s really easy to get caught up in a weight obsession. When celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton are called “fat” by critics, it can make the rest of us feel like we’ll never look good enough or thin enough. It’s so easy to forget that there’s nothing wrong with being a few pounds overweight – it’s normal and now we can say it may actually be healthy.

So what’s the best plan for your body? Yeah, you should focus on having a generally healthy diet – it’s not good for anyone, no matter how thin they may be, to stuff themselves with fattening foods all day. But you shouldn’t get caught up in a diet that doesn’t allow you to indulge at all. Eat that third cookie if you want it! Have a piece of your friend’s birthday cake! Like we’ve said all along – stop worrying about being “perfect.”

What do you think about this study? Was your resolution about losing weight? Do you ever worry about how you look? Tell us in the comments.

Try this eating tip instead of a crazy diet

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This week was no exception. I saw comments that literally made me laugh out loud, ones that made me smile and want to be your BFF and ones that really made me think. Check out my pick of a few of the best comments from this week – and keep leaving yours! We want to know what you have to say!

Sometimes you inspire us with your confidence: 

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From: If I Lose Weight, Will That Get Guys To Like Me? 

Sometimes you give awesome advice: 

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From: My Friend Has A Crush On Me, What Can I Do?

Sometimes you’re just super smart:

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From: Ask A Guy: Do Guys Care About How Many People A Girl Has Slept With?

Sometimes you defend others:

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From: Wait. He Can Do WHAT With A Big Penis?

Sometimes you make us super proud: 

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From: 26 Reasons I Need Feminism 

Sometimes you seriously impress us: 

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From: How Can I Get My Boobs To Grow Faster? 

Sometimes you just make sense: 

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From: If I Lose Weight, Will That Get Guys To Like Me? 

Sometimes we can’t argue with your logic: 

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From: Ryan Lochte: No Longer Our Gold Medal Hottie 

Sometimes you get super passionate: 

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From: My BF Lied About His Age! What Do I Do? 

And sometimes you’re hilarious, whether you mean to be or not: 

From: What Is PMS? Do You Have It?

What was your favorite comment from this list? What did we miss? Tell me in the comments!

Don’t ever lose weight to please someone else | Source: ShutterStock.com

Check out what’s new on our boards! Right now, girls are wondering if losing weight will help make guys like them:

Alyssa1999 said:

I’m 13, I’m 5 ft. and I’m 210 pounds. I’m bubbly, funny, loud, a tomboy and I am very country. I like guys A LOT, but nobody ever seems to look at me and I’ve never had anyone like me (except one guy a few years ago, but no one serious/major). I would really like to date, but it seems that no one can ever see past my weight!

I am currently trying to lose weight (100 pounds is my goal). Do you think that if I lost weight that I could find someone for me? It’s hard enough to find a country guy who is everything I want, but even harder when he can’t see past your size (which is 18).

I love my curves, and I try to be positive, so I don’t need any advice on that.

POINT IS: :: :: Do you think some one would like me if I was smaller in size?

Thanks!!

We just need to make a quick comment here: ladies, you never need to lose weight in order to get anyone to like you. This girl sounds totally awesome – and if a dude can’t see past what you look like, then you most definitely don’t want him around. Trust us on that. Also? The only reason (besides health reasons) you should lose weight is for yourself. Doing it for approval from others? Never, ever worth it.

Got something to add to this convo? Then go for it, girl! Let this girl know what you think about losing weight and trying to get guys to like you.

Need advice on a different topic? Do you have a story you want to share? Post your own thoughts and questions in our boards and start chatting with other girls.

How do I talk to my boyfriend?

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This is obese? | Source: Dominic Chan/WENN.com

Jennifer Lawrence is awesome. Okay, fine, I’ll admit that I never saw her in The Hunger Games (what?! I never got around to reading it, and I hate watching movies before I read the book. I’m sorry. I know it’s unacceptable). But I have seen her in X-Men: First Class, and I’ve read/watched a ton of her interviews and I’ve also fallen in love with many of her outfits on the red carpet. So I don’t need to see The Hunger Games to know that I have a total girl crush on Jennifer.

So obviously, I was thrilled to see her on the cover of Elle‘s December issue. She looks gorgeous (I have total hair envy), and the interview makes her sound even cooler then I thought she was. One thing that stuck out the most? That Jennifer called herself “obese” by Hollywood standards. Um, what? Yeah… she said, “I eat like a caveman, I’ll be the only actress who doesn’t have anorexia rumors. In Hollywood, I’m obese. I’m considered a fat actress, I’m Val Kilmer in that one picture on the beach.”

Ugh. If Jennifer Lawrence is considered obese in Hollywood, then I don’t know what obese means anymore. I mean, have you seen this girl’s body?! She’s not even close to what some might call fat. This story reminds me of what I just wrote about Kate Upton… and just like Kate, Jennifer looks gorgeous and healthy. Personally, I think it’s refreshing to see a famous star like Jennifer not be perfectly toned or thin, and still look awesome. I have nothing against skinny girls whatsoever, but if Hollywood featured actresses with only one body type, things would get pretty boring pretty quickly.

The body hate against Jennifer might sound familiar – remember when critics slammed her for being too heavy for her role as Katniss in The Hunger Games? Well, even though the books called for Katniss to be emaciated (due to being starving), apparently Jennifer had a reason for not slimming herself down for the part. She says, “I’m never going to starve myself for a part. I don’t want little girls to be like, ‘Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner.’ That’s something I was really conscious of during training, when you’re trying to get your body to look exactly right. I was trying to get my body to look fit and strong – not thin and underfed.”

While I totally get that some people feel J-Law’s interpretation of Katniss was a little off due to the weight thing (I get that die-hard fans imagined Katniss a specific way and might have been confused), I admire Jennifer for taking the stance she did. As Katniss, Jennifer was shoved into the spotlight and she suddenly became a role model for young girls. She’s right in believing that there are plenty of girls who would strive to look like Katniss. I think it’s seriously cool that she refuses to lose weight for a part – it sends a good message.

All in all, I’m totally stoked about Jennifer. She seems very chill and down-to-earth, and she also seems super comfortable with her body no matter what all those nasty critics have to say. And if she’s considered obese in Hollywood? Well, then I guess I’d like to be considered obese in Hollywood also.

What do you think about Jennifer Lawrence? Do you think she’s too heavy? Do you think she should have lost weight to play Katniss? Tell us in the comments!

Are guys really as shallow as we all think they are?

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If you say “I feel fat” after hanging out, you need to talk about other stuff! | Source: ShutterStock

Everyone utters the dreaded “I feel fat” every now and then. But could your girls be the reason you sometimes feel down on yourself and have a negative body image?

A new study looked at 75 pairs of female BFFs and asked how often the pals chat about things like weight, exercising, weight loss, their appearances, and their relationships with food. Researchers also made a point to check if the gals had a healthy body image overall and what kind of pressures they felt from their friends about their sizes.

It turns out that the more time we spent talking to friends about things like weight, weight loss, or what we wish we looked like, the crappier we feel about ourselves–and the more likely we are to grumble, “I feel fat” later on. The research also indicated that our body image concerns are often mirrored in our friends’ own worries–so if you tell your bestie, “I feel fat,” she may wind up saying it right back to you. That’s no fun!

One of the researchers explained it like this: “Our research demonstrates that friends influence each other through at least three processes: perceived pressure to be thin; body-related talk; and perceptions. Although these perceptions are somewhat grounded in reality, i.e. they are close to the truth, they are more influential than reality.”

What that basically means? The more you guys mope and say “I feel fat,” the fatter you’re both going to feel–even if and when you’re not fat at all. (We think you’re hot, btw.) How do you get around this?

Simple. Instead of saying “I feel fat,” catch yourself and instead just tell your BFF, “You look awesome.” You’ll be deflecting attention off of yourself and making your pal feel amazing–and chances are she’ll return the favor. If you guys start talking about food or dieting, instead of saying how fat you feel, talk about how amazing you felt after your last workout, how beautiful Harry Styles is, or how delish your new red velvet cake recipe is. Because friends are supposed to build one another up and make each other feel better–not feel fat!

How often do you say “I feel fat?” What’s your response when a friend says she feels fat? Do your friends affect your body image? Tell us in the comments!

Is your BFF making you feel crappy on purpose? Here’s how to tell!

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I’d just started seeing this guy and I thought things were on their way to getting serious, until he said this really bad line…

I kind of forget what we were talking about, but it was about some celeb’s looks. I asked if he thought she was pretty. And he responds with:

“Well, you obviously know I’m not that into appearances.”

Obviously? Me? What? I guess not being superficial is a good thing, but did that mean that he didn’t think I was attractive?

I tried to talk to him about it, but he kept saying, “You know what I mean.” I didn’t at all. Eventually, we broke up. It wasn’t because of this conversation, really. But, I never really got over it.

Ever had one little bad line kind of ruin your relationship? Are you always attracted to the person you’re dating? Tell me in the comments!

How To Deal With Getting Dumped

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I recently went through a break up with a guy I was casually seeing. It was one of those weird things where we weren’t officially boyfriend and girlfriend and had only been together a few weeks. I wasn’t even sure that we needed a break up convo, but I decided that it was the right thing to do.

So, I met up with him and told him that I didn’t think we were great as a couple, even though I thought the world of him. He responded by saying:

“Look, you’re not going to be young for a lot longer.”

What? Um, WHAT? First of all, I’m not THAT old. He was talking like I was pushing 60. And guess what? He was older than I am! Yeesh! And what did that even mean? Just because I wasn’t 12 years old I should settle?

Anyway, things got heated in the conversation and I wound up deciding to walk away. He yelled after me:

“Let me know if you have anyone to set me up with. I guess I’m looking now!”

This guy had just insulted my age (which was more weird than hurtful) and then expected me to set him up with a friend. What was going on in his head?

Have you ever had a break up conversation go totally awry? Would you EVER set up an ex with one of your friends? Tell me in the comments!

Should You Worry About Your BF’s girl friends?

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Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like Kate Upton gets a lot of hate. Okay, maybe not from dudes (they seem to appreciate her), but just from the Internet in general. When Kate was selected to be on the cover for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, tons of people reacted in the worst way ever: by calling her too fat.

I don’t know what pictures they were looking at, but the Kate Upton I saw in that magazine was definitely not fat. Not even a little bit. Yeah, she has curves – but they’re pretty awesome curves, if you ask me.

Anyway, some critics claimed that Kate was nothing special and that she would never be able to make it in the modeling world, mainly because she doesn’t look like a lot of the supermodels out there. Well, it looks like Kate is proving them wrong. She was just featured in Vogue for the second time in six months! Kate graces the pages of the November 2012 issue, and while some of the shots are revealing, not all of them are all about the sex appeal.

The really cool thing about all this is that Kate knows she doesn’t have the “typical” supermodel bod – and she really doesn’t seem to care. In Vogue, she said: “You know, actually, I don’t really know why [the industry has] chosen me. But I am excited because I love fashion. And I am excited to be in a place where I can be a good example.”

Kate had even more awesome stuff to say: “I don’t want to starve myself. I still want to hang out with my family and be a normal girl. You have to be confident, and that doesn’t mean starving yourself. I think it’s important to look at magazines and think a healthy lifestyle is attainable. Now that the fashion industry likes the idea of me, I’m happy if I can have an influence.”

Kate’s infamous Sports Illustrated cover | Source: WENN.com

I’m going to pause here to give her a round of applause. In case you couldn’t tell from this post, I’m a Kate Upton fan. I’ve never met her and I don’t know what she’s really like, but I think she seems like she’s a really cool person and I kind of want to be her BFF. Yeah, she shows off her boobs a lot, and she gets a lot of criticism for that, but, I don’t know, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a woman showing off her body once in a while. Especially considering that Kate is a model, primarily a swimsuit model, so that’s pretty much her job.

While I think it’s sad that this is considered such a big accomplishment (the girl is a normal size!), it still makes me super happy that Kate is happy with her body. It’s nice to see supermodels that aren’t on the verge of anorexia (NOTHING against skinny girls, but there are some scarily thin models out there), because I personally like seeing diversity in my fashion mags. Basically, I’m pretty thrilled that Kate’s career is taking off. Now can we all stop focusing on her weight?

What do you think about Kate Upton? Do you think there need to be more curvy models out there? Are you a fan of her? Tell us in the comments.

10 GIF reactions to Hollywood’s hypocritical beauty standards

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A few months ago, I started dating a new guy. He was sweet, but also very, very honest – sometimes a little too honest. I quickly learned that if I didn’t want to hear the truth about some stuff, there were certain things I just couldn’t talk to him about. In fact, I got my first taste of what a backhanded compliment feels like from him, and I really didn’t enjoy it.

I had just planned a vacation to the beach with some of my friends and I was talking to him about it. Half joking around, I said, “I really need to get to the gym and start working out before I lay on the beach in my bikini all day.”

My guy shrugged and gave him an uncomfortable look. “Oh, come on,” he said. “You don’t need to lose that much weight.” 

I was literally speechless. I don’t need to lose THAT much weight?! Oh, thanks, dude. I didn’t realize you wanted me to lose any weight at all!

I was pretty hurt by the remark, and even more hurt when he quickly suggested we go to the gym later that afternoon. We didn’t last much longer.

What do you think – did I overreact to being hurt by that comment? Would you have been upset if a boyfriend said that to you? What’s the meanest thing a guy has ever said to you? Tell me in the comments!

Whoa! Check out the totally rude thing this guy said

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