What came first-America's obesity or Relaxed Fit pants?

[underpants]

This is something that has bothered me for some time. Okay I could stand to loose a few pounds (working on it) but I don't remember a whole lot of chubby/fat/dunlop desease sufferers in the 70's when men's pants were anything but "relaxed fit". It seems to me that those ads in the 80's of faceless yuppie men kabitzing on someone's front porch in their Dockers opened the door to just letting go.

I know I know there are more than a few weight loss/excercise programs available but who cares when you know that SOMEONE is always willing to make pants to fit you no matter what?

So, did "relaxed fit" come to be because we were getting fatter or did we become fatter because the world would accomodate us?*

*Does not apply to airline seats, those were never big enough for anyone.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Interesting chicken/egg question.

I think the "relaxed waistband" came about due to guys wanting to say they wore a 36 pant, when they really need to wear a 40. I think the clothes originally accomodated our increased fattiness, but now it's just a vicious circle.

[underpants]

3. A vicious elastic circle

Add in the "additional fit" buttons on the side AND the elastic (usually cheap pants) and you are nearing the trifecta.

I think you are right about the 36's able to stretch to 40.

[Paradise]

2. You know, underpants, you might just have hit on something here...

I believe it's the 'PANTS'! :wow:

[underpants]

5. Oh it is sister

It IS! :bounce:

Everything is supersized now. Okay I will stop now.

[Paradise]

11. 'ain't' no one else like ya, u.p., and that's g o o d! :) nt

[Misunderestimator]

4. Are your underpants relaxed-fit?

[underpants]

6. Boxers

VERY relaxed fit!

[Misunderestimator]

7. See? Maybe THAT's what we should be looking at...

Do boxers make you fat? :)

[underpants]

8. This is outside of the original field of study

Actually they have had boxers for some time so I don't think that is part of it. Also boxers don't "cinch it" like tighty whitees or "boxer briefs".

[salvorhardin]

9. Americans are not getting fatter

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/08/health/08cont.html?ex=1088654400&en=3ff910b07a62c6dc&ei=5070&hp

[underpants]

10. Hmm interesting

I would go with the dissenting opinion to Dr. Friedman in this article.

[salvorhardin]

12. "Fat" keeps getting redefined too

Prior to 2000 "Overweight" was defined as a BMI of greater than 26.4-27.8 for men and greater than 25.8-27.3 for women. Obese was greater than 31.1 for men and greater than 32.3 for women.

However, in 2000, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers For Disease Control ratcheted these numbers down and made it the same for both men and women. Now, anyone with a BMI of 25 or greater is said to be overweight and obese if they have a BMI of 30 or greater. These numbers were chosen in part because they were easy to remember

Recently some have advocated making these numbers even lower. For instance, in the July 9 Archives of Internal Medicine, Harvard researchers recommended adults maintain a BMI of between 18.5 and 21.9.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. In women's clothing

relaxed fit is available in all sizes, not just the big ones. It refers to pants that have a normal waist measurement for the designated size but hip and thigh dimensions that are close to those for the next size up.

No matter what weight I have been at, I have needed relaxed fit to deal with the disparity in size between my waist and my hip. Before it was available, pants fit EITHER my waist OR my hips, never both.

Some of us are pear-shaped. It's hereditary (going back at least four generations in my case), and as one writer said, "Your only choice is whether to be a fat pear or a slender pear."