Too much emphasis is put on numbers and size. For the record, too much of USA population is more than just overweight. They are obese and getting worse.
Better question is: are you healthy? Asked this question, you encourage people to look more at the lifestyle rather than the size or number.
On one page, you get people telling you that it shouldn't be a goal to be a size 2; that real people are bigger, rounder, softer. We're told it's okay not to have a model's body. This gives people just the permission they need to throw caution to the wind and eat whatever they way, adopting a sedentary lifestyle as they march on towards obesity, rationalizing all the way that it's okay not to be a size 2.
On another page, we are told about obesity in epedemic proportions, from young children to old women. The conflicting information is enough to make my head spin. Either it's okay to be obese, or we should be striving to resemble etheopians.
Producers of diet pills, diet food, diet programs, diet books etc. like it this way. A diet is an awful thing to be on. That's why it's such a lucrative business. Generally, people can be held accountable for their actions, or remain dedicated to something for up to two weeks before they start to wane. After that, it's usually back to old habits. Diet companies bank on this. If they only have your interest for two weeks, that's good enough for them. They also know you'll be back, either to their product or another, as soon as you feel the urge to 'do something about your weight' again.
So, ask yourself this: Are you healthy? Does your doctor think you are healthy? If your answer is not yes, then what is your 1 week plan to get healthier? What changes can you make for one week that will have a positive impact on your health? Then, when one week is up, reevaluate everything again. If you can continue this you'll see changes that you count on. The trick is not getting on the scale, and not reading magazines or listening to commercials.