Wedding Gown Challenge

Yep, it fit..!

2011-08-08T17:47:00.002-04:00

I pulled it out and put it on, and yep, it fit..! Of course it fit. I was a healthy weight in 1997... Why wouldn't I still be..?? Two kids, slowing metabolism, "fat genes"..?

Oh hell no!! No excuses.

Happy Wedding Gown Challenge 2010 - Get it out and get it on, Ba-bee..!!

2010-08-06T19:33:00.005-04:00

Look, you go into adulthood at a healthy weight and then you maintain that healthy weight. Period.

This little Wedding Gown Challenge isn't about the gown or marriage even. Feel free to find your own symbol or item that fits throughout adulthood. For me, it's been my Wedding Gown year after year.

I'd never use my marriage or my children or this obesogenic American junk food culture as an excuse to forfeit my health. I eat within my means, exercise daily, and exercise enough that I even have room for plenty of tasty indulgences..! Each of us has to figure out our own rhythm, nourishment needs of our body and exact food choices, but we also must take responsibility for our weight and our health.

And please don't email me about exceptions. If you have Prader-Willi or Pica or are on Prednisone, I'm not talking about you... And certainly not if you're suffering from Cushing's Syndrome either. And for those struggling below the poverty line, there are special circumstances at play and special programs necessary.

I'm talking to the 85+% of us who have what it takes to eat right and exercise daily.

Happy Wedding Gown Challenge..! I took fun professional photos in my gown, but my favorite is this snapshot just afterward in the elevator with my precious daughter...

Notes:
Great article from Abby Ellin of the New York Times re: post-nuptial weight gain...
Great study reinforcing the fact that maintaining healthy weight (no more than 9lb weight gain for women after age 18) gives you much better odds of healthy aging...

Go, MeMe Roth, Go..! I Support Your Efforts..!

2010-04-01T02:19:00.000-04:00

Go, MeMe Roth, Go..! I Support Your Efforts..!

Wedding Gown Challenge 2009 - Of Course It Fits..!

2009-08-07T01:53:00.002-04:00

Love makes us fat...

Marriage makes us fat...

Our friends make us fat...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've read all the reports. Truth is, we make ourselves fat. Of course, industry couldn't be more helpful. What with their adding sugar to everything so food plays tricks on us: Cravings anyone? Feeling hungry when maybe you're not really hungry? Digging that dopamine high?

It's damn hard to not get fat these days. We're hardwired to eat all food available and to store fat. Otherwise our DNA wouldn't have survived eons of scarcity. But today's survival skill is surviving abundance. With processed foods--I mean ingestible entertainment--formulated, packaged and marketed to bypass all reason, it takes all the logic you can muster to override your neuro-chemical responses driving you to Dunkin' Donuts at 3am...

Kelly Brownell at Yale's Rudd Center says it takes "motivation" and a "willingness" to control these impulses and make healthful lifestyle choices instead. I agree. When it's "no thanks" as tiramisu is offered... or the face of every runner along the path...I'm pretty sure I'm witnessing pure determination.

Were you at a healthy weight when you hit your twenties? Are you still at about the same weight? You should be. (Weight lifters and the like get a free pass on this.) Whether it's your acid wash jeans, Bugle Boys, or whatever you wore the first night you got drunk (legally), those clothes should still fit--your body if not your current sense of style.

America is a collective 5 Billion pounds overweight, the average adult is 23 pounds overweight, and most couples put on 25 to 30 pounds after the first few years of marriage.

If you have the determination, motivation and willingness, those numbers don't have to describe you. As for me, I'm celebrating the 5th Annual Wedding Gown Challenge today. More than 12 years and 2 children later, the gown still fits, Ba-bee..!

If Chris Rock Cared about Obesity...

2008-07-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

"You're not s'posed to get fat... you low-ex-pec-ta-tions-havin'-fool!"

Truly, if fighting obesity were Chris Rock's "thing," that'd be what he tell us all.

Instead we have volumes of studies from Harvard and every other respected academic institution and research center telling us that there's no medical need to gain extra fat once we're full grown. That's about 18 for a female and 22 for a male.

Actually, the studies underscore that even a modest gain in extra fat of 10-20 pounds can have a material impact on one's health, increasing the risk of disease and premature death.

So having our wedding gowns, tuxes, prom dresses, parachute pants, acid-wash jeans, etc. still fit--should be no problem. If we entered adulthood at a healthy weight, there's every reason to believe we should be maintaining that healthy weight.

But what do most of us do?? The typical American couple gains an average of 25 pounds (per person) post-nuptials. YIKES! This can lead to problems in the marriage, the bedroom, fertility... and of course, can wreak havoc on one's self-esteem. And WARNING, if one spouse gains weight, there's a 37% increase in likelihood that the other spouse will too...

TODAY'S THE 4th ANNUAL WEDDING GOWN CHALLENGE !

That's where the Wedding Gown Challenge comes in... Forget bridal bootcamps and months of starvation leading up to "the big day"--all in an effort to "give good pose" for the wedding photog. It's a dangerous kick-off to frequently a life-long cycle of dangerous yo-yo dieting. Chances are, like 95% of others who attempt fad diets, the weight lost will come right back, and bring extra L.B.s with it!

Instead, go into your Wedding Day at a healthy weight, maintain that weight, and rear the next generation of healthy-eating, healthy-exercising, healthy-weight children.

Congratulations to each one of you who's doing the day-to-day, hour-to-hour, saying-no-thanks-to-the-next-temptation hard work of keeping healthy by making excellent food choices and committing to daily exercise!

From the U.K. to San Francisco, and everywhere else, women around the world are "getting it out and getting it on"--their wedding gowns that is.

Hooray for your efforts! Hooray if the zipper went up without a catch! And hooray for you if you're still working on it!

See you next year! Same time, same place, same gown...

Wedding Gown Challenge Goes to the U.K.!

2008-01-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

The Wedding Gown Challenge has picked up momentum and crossed the Atlantic. This Summer join like-minded Britons as they throw their own Wedding Gown Challenge, host a ball, sponsor a fun run and raise money for Breast Cancer, all while celebrating the cycle of good health!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

http://www.wearyourweddingdressagain.co.uk/

Bill O' Reilly & Wedding Gown Challenge 2007 ?? - Friday August 3

2007-03-04T21:37:00.000-05:00

A year ago I would have laughed at any comparison between myself and cable-news-mega-star Bill O’Reilly. He’s 6’ 4”. I’m 5’ 6”. He’s a Yank. I’m all Dixie. He calls himself a Patriot…and calls me a “Fascist.” (Rumor is we both claim to be Independent…)

But whether you agree with his every utterance or recoil, there’s one thing we all can admire about Bill O’Reilly: The guy keeps himself in shape. Recently, he told me his waistline is the same size as in college. Now that’s more than just something to boast about at Homecoming. Study after study tells us that our waist size is a key indicator of our health. Check yours: Your waist size should be no greater than HALF your height.

Think Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome may affect up to 75 million Americans. Big Pharma estimates the market could grow as big as $18 Billion annually according to WIRED magazine. Metabolic Syndrome is the confluence of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, low HDL (good cholesterol) and major mid-section girth. These are key factors linked to type II diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, among other life-threatening maladies.

Most Americans don’t consider their college weight to be a lifetime benchmark, but it is. Studies show that gaining merely 10-20 pounds once you’re fully-grown materially increases your chances of premature death. Again, 10-20 pounds. How many of us pat ourselves on the back for having gained only that much since our twenties?

The facts are stark. Once you’re full-grown, your clothes should go out of style, not out of size. Most of us should be able to show up to themed parties dressed in all our ruffled high school prom or wedding regalia. But in a nation where the majority is overweight, few could.

Annually, I invite all women to gather with their girlfriends, pull their wedding gowns from storage, and put them back on. The big laughs should come from the dated styles, not busted zippers.

And for the Wedding Gown Challenge, the wedding gown is symbolic of a time in a woman’s life when she’s entered into adulthood at a healthy weight, and intends to maintain that weight for a lifetime. Your wedding ceremony may have been Catholic, Cosmic or Common Law. You may have donned puffy whites or a scuba suit. The Wedding Gown Challenge message is to maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime. And that’s true too for whomever wore the tux.

Friday, August 3, 2007, gather your friends. Grab your prom dress, dinner jacket or wedding gown, and make sure they still fit. If you have none of the above, take the tape measurer to your belly. Like Bill O’Reilly, make sure it’s the same size as when you were twenty.

Who’s on the A-list for belly boasting? And whom are we missing?

Bill O’Reilly
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Yoko Ono
Gloria Steinem
David Lee Roth
Madonna
Demi Moore
Denise Austin
Jack LaLanne
David Duchovny
Dennis Quaid
Mike Adams
Steven Tyler
Bruce Jenner

New Year's Resolutions Are For Wimps!

2006-12-03T00:24:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

“New Year’s Resolutions on January 1 Are For Wimps. Make A December 1 Resolution To Not Get Fat,” Says Anti-Obesity Advocate MeMe Roth.

--MeMe Roth Offers Realistic Tips for Not Gaining Weight This Holiday--

New York, NY – November 30, 2006 – www.actionagainstobesity.com -- As the 2006 holiday season hits full speed, Anti-Obesity Advocate and National Action Against Obesity President, MeMe Roth suggests forgoing the time-honored tradition of January 1 New Year Resolutions and instead making the commitment December 1 to not gain weight.

“The holiday season—otherwise known as the ‘eating season’—is at full speed. Having kicked off with Halloween and picked up steam on Thanksgiving, we have nothing but shameless noshing ahead for the rest of 2006,” said MeMe Roth, anti-obesity advocate and president of National Action Against Obesity, an anti-obesity advocacy group. “We cannot go into December with the defeatist attitude that we’re destined to gain weight; Americans are too fat already. Sure, join the gym January 1st, but join it at the weight you are today. If you’re in credit-card debt, stop shopping and start saving. If you’re in obesity-debt, stop eating and start moving. New Year’s Resolutions on January 1 are for wimps. Make a December 1 Resolution to not get fat.”

Today, MeMe Roth shares tips on how to Keep Your December 1 Resolution to Not Gain Weight this Holiday Season:

1- Plan What You’ll “Do” to Celebrate, Not What You’ll “Eat”

The holidays frequently afford extra time with family and loved ones. Use that time doing activities together to build lifetime memories, or possibly to start new traditions. Check listings for fun-runs and 5K walks scheduled throughout the winter weekends. Coordinate your own “snow bowl” touch football game. Walks, bike rides, holding hands while window-shopping all burn calories and create bonds rather than bulge. Instead of reminiscing about a perfect pot roast, wax poetic about snowflakes, ice skates and carriage rides. Winter is perfect for romance. Consider snuggling by the fire rather than bellying up to yet another buffet.

2- Avoid Saboteurs

Many will wish you well—just as they offer you yet another heaping helping of stuffing, candied yams and latkes. Watch out for friends and colleagues. They’re quick to extend holiday greetings with a bounty full of fudge, home-baked cookies and indulgent treats, but what they’re really offering you is the fast-track to diabetes. The majority of us in the U.S. is overweight—the majority—and further endangering our lives over the holidays is no way to celebrate life, blessings or the promise of a new year. Shake it off. No cake, cookie or pie at an office party or neighborhood potluck will be the last chance you’ll ever have to eat it. Pick one thing that you’d rate a 10, and allow yourself just that. Obviously don’t go overboard with alcohol—it’s empty and expensive calories. And yes, a raised eyebrow is the proper reception to a so-called friend bearing high-fat, high-risk gifts. She may simply be re-gifting to get the fat out of her house.

3- It’s the Holidays—Remember the Kiddies

While you pig-out, don’t forget your children are watching. Study after study shows the overwhelming impact of parental modeling; i.e., If you pig-out, they’ll pig-out. If you allow food to put your health at risk, well so will junior and princess. According to studies, children of the obese are 15 times more likely to battle weight as well. Enough said.

Ignore these tips and eat into oblivion? “Aside from the guilt and possible expensive visit to the tailor, you’ve now gained weight that you’ll likely never lose. Study after study shows that even if you lose extra fat, your entire system fights to gain it back, and you’ll likely do so within two years—and worse—you’ll probably gain even more. That’s no way to start 2007,” adds Roth.

About MeMe Roth
MeMe Roth, president and founder of National Action Against Obesity, is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge, where women enter into marriage at a healthy weight and maintain it for a lifetime. As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools, eradicate Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen), and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on FOXNews’ The O’Reilly Factor w/ Bill O’Reilly, Your World with Neil Cavuto, CBS’s The Early Show, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, TimeOut New York, Big Apple Parent, WABCRadio, 106.7 LiteFM, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, Suburban Essex Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, News Target, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog, Nippon TV, The Associated Press and Health Magazine. Ms. Roth’s agenda: “Let’s finally recognize obesity as abuse—abuse of our children, abuse of ourselves—and together take action against it.” www.actionagainstobesity.com

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Make Sure Your Gown Still Fits!

2006-08-03T14:31:00.000-04:00

Weddings and Women's Obesity: MeMe Roth Leads 2nd Annual Wedding Gown Challenge, Friday, August 4

--"Women Should Fit Into Their Wedding Gowns Year After Year," Says Anti-Obesity Advocate MeMe Roth--

New York, NY -- August 4, 2006 -- http://weddinggownchallenge.blogspot.com/ --While most U.S. adults succumb to today's obesity epidemic and brides-to-be across the country starve themselves into unhealthy and unrealistic weights for just one day--their wedding day--The Wedding Gown Challenge marks its second year. The Wedding Gown Challenge encourages women to enter into marriage at a healthy weight and maintain that weight for a lifetime rather than perpetuating the time-honored tradition of starving oneself leading up to the wedding and then packing on the pounds during the honeymoon.

"Most women I know commit fraud on their wedding days--they weigh-in for the walk down the aisle with no expectation of maintaining that weight year after year," said anti-obesity advocate, MeMe Roth. "Instead of starving for weeks on end to look good for the wedding album, women should enter marriage at a healthy weight and with the full commitment to remain fit for life."

Today, there is little expectation that women will hover near their wedding day size. However, the facts according to Yale New Haven Hospital, and others, is that women need only blame five to 10 pounds on pregnancy. Additionally, gaining a modest 10-20 pounds after age 18 materially compromises one's health. According to the New England Journal of Medicine and reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), gaining merely 10-20 pounds after age 18 increases your chance of premature death by 15%.

"The only way to combat obesity is to not get fat in the first place--studies show once you're overweight, your body works to maintain the highest weight you reach, making it that much harder to be fit," said Ms. Roth. "The Wedding Gown Challenge gives us a chance to 'check-in' with ourselves atleast once a year and keep an eye on our waistlines."

HOW?
It's time to break the obesity cycle starting with the Wedding Gown Challenge:
· Forget bride-to-be boot camps. Instead, make healthy choices about food and portion size.
· Move it! Sports, walking, playing--do whatever it takes to move your body at least 10,000 steps a day. (That's about five miles.)
· Be healthy on your wedding day, and most importantly, do what it takes to remain healthy.
· Refuse to use your life as an excuse for obesity: stress, pregnancy, depression, genetics, metabolism. There is an infinite list of circumstances that make weight gain easy; however, it is up to only one person to live fit or fat.
· Finally, if you have children, rear the next generation of brides-to-be into ahealthy adulthood by both modeling and providing a healthy lifestyle.

WHEN?
Friday, August 4, women across the country are pulling out and putting on their gowns and taking part in the 2nd Annual Wedding Gown Challenge. Many will gather together with their girlfriends, husbands and children for moral support, and some will face their gowns solo.

The Wedding Gown Challenge is in response to the deluge of data, advice and warnings regarding obesity. "Women are at the center of the obesity epidemic. One in three of us is not just overweight, but obese. Women make more than 90% of food-buying decisions. It's on us to stop the surge in obesity," added Ms. Roth.

ABOUT MEME ROTH
Writer, Speaker and Anti-Obesity Advocate MeMe Roth is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge, an annual event in support of women entering marriage at a healthy weight--and maintaining it. In addition to convincing the masses that obesity is abuse, Ms. Roth campaigns to eliminate junk food from schools, believing the school environment should not encourage children to consume junk food as a means for fundraising.

Ms. Roth is dedicated to sounding the alarm against obesity and offering advice to break the obesity cycle. Ms. Roth's motivation? Being born into a long lineof obesity, having children of her own and fighting the battle of the bulge like everyone else. Ms. Roth's larger agenda? Brain/Body/Libido. "Let's re-tool the image of 'mom' and live a lifestyle free of excuses."

As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools, eradicate Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen), and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on FOX's O'Reilly Factor w/ Bill O'Reilly, Your World with Neil Cavuto, CBS's The Early Show,The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, TimeOut New York, Big Apple Parent, WABCRadio, 106.7 LiteFM,Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, Suburban Essex Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, News Target, Baristanet.com, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog, Nippon TV, The Associated Press and Health Magazine.

Mother's Day Doesn't Make You Fat

2006-05-11T00:29:00.000-04:00

Mother’s Day and Women’s Obesity

-- Anti-Obesity Advocate MeMe Roth Lists

Top 3 Lies Mothers Tell About Their Weight --

As women across the U.S. celebrate Mothers Day, anti-obesity advocate MeMe Roth draws attention to obesity’s continued threat to women and their families. Today, MeMe Roth announces the Top Three Lies mothers tell about their weight:

1- “Pregnancy Made Me Fat.”

While the effects of a healthy pregnancy may include bulging veins, stretch marks and a host of other physical mementos, it does not leave a woman obese. Yale-New Haven Hospital and other medical professionals advise that a healthy pregnancy, on average, leaves behind five to ten pounds of additional fat. Unfortunately more than half the women of childbearing age in the U.S. are overweight or obese, leading to an increased risk of birth defects as well as pregnancy and delivery complications. If a woman is abusing her body with excessive or poor-quality food and lack of exercise, her child is likely to suffer the consequences of health risks and obesity. Ideally, women should demonstrate a healthy lifestyle well in advance of conceiving, which includes wholesome foods and ample exercise. Additionally, an overweight or obese woman should gain far less weight during pregnancy than a healthy-weight mother-to-be. The most important factor is following guidelines prescribed by an attending OB/GYN.

Anti-obesity advocate, MeMe Roth said, “We should no more glorify getting fat as a rite of passage to ‘Momdom’ than any other self-respecting institution. Women must stop scapegoating their pregnancies as sources of obesity.”

2- “Genetics Made Me Fat.”

Fact: genetics plays a role in the propensity for obesity. However, “propensity” is not an immutable sentence; it’s a gift of advance warning. Having the knowledge that one comes from a legacy of obesity is ample reason to avoid the “obesity axis-of-evil,” which comprises junk food, soda and sitting around.

Roth said, “It’s true there is what I call ‘Second-Hand Obesity.’ If your parents are obese, studies show you’re 15 times more likely to be obese—so work 15 times harder to clear a healthy life path.”

3- “Middle-Age Spread Made Me Fat.”

Time is no friend to metabolism. Each year—life’s cruel joke—metabolism takes another dive. Combine the natural decline of metabolism with the hormonal cocktail of menopause and the result for most women is extra fat, especially around the middle. Nutritionists and personal trainers alike advise a decrease in calories and increase in exercise. Particularly effective is weight-training, which increases muscle mass--which in-turn--increases metabolism. Studies project that in the course of a woman’s life, 70% will become overweight or obese. Post-menopausal weight gain is riskier due to its link to breast cancer and other health complications.

“There’s a popular country song that sings ‘…live like you were dyin’...’ If you’re a woman facing ‘middle age spread’ and you have not been given a terminal diagnosis, it’s more important than ever to live like you are living. That means facing up to a slowing metabolism and eliminating the food choices and sedentary lapses contributing to extra weight gain,” Roth advises.

“One in every three women is obese. Two in every three women is overweight or obese. Women make more than 90% of food-buying decisions in the U.S. Studies show that only a modest weight gain of 10-20 pounds after age 18 materially compromises a woman’s health. If there is to be a resistance to the obesity epidemic, it will come from mothers. So on Mother’s Day, let’s stop telling lies about our weight. Why are these lies so dangerous? Blaming pregnancy, genetics and middle-age spread for obesity only ushers in a new generation of obesity. Lying to our families is one thing, but it’s far more damaging for a woman to lie to herself,” Roth concluded.

About MeMe Roth
MeMe Roth is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge--Friday, August 4, 2006-- where women enter into marriage at a healthy weight and maintain it for a lifetime. As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools, eradicate Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen), and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on FOXNews’ The O’Reilly Factor w/ Bill O’Reilly, Your World with Neil Cavuto, CBS’s The Early Show, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, TimeOut New York, Big Apple Parent, WABCRadio, 106.7 LiteFM, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, Suburban Essex Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, News Target, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog, Nippon TV, The Associated Press and Health Magazine. Ms. Roth’s agenda: Brain/Body/Libido. “Let’s re-tool the image of ‘mom’ and live a lifestyle free of excuses.”

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Boycott REDBOOK Magazine - Obesity Is Not Fashion

2006-03-02T02:54:00.000-05:00

Redbook Magazine Boycott Called by Anti-Obesity Advocate MeMe Roth

-- Hearst’s Redbook and Editor-in-Chief Stacy Morrison Called “Reckless in Age of Obesity” --

New York, NY – March 6, 2006 – In response to Redbook Magazine’s March 2006 Issue and cover story, “We Love Your Body From Size 2 to 20,” anti-obesity advocate MeMe Roth calls for a boycott of the magazine citing its piece as “reckless in the age of obesity.”

March’s issue, with rocker Sheryl Crow on the cover, features a seven-page spread of women of varying sizes, many of whom are Redbook employees. Half the women are visibly overweight and some “plus sized.” Height and Body Mass Index (BMI) are excluded.

In her opening letter, editor-in-chief Stacy Morrison bemoans the fact that many of her favorite fashions are not made larger than size 12, while also heralding that she is “quite proud” to be a size 14. Later within the article, it is pointed out the average American woman is a size 14. Noticeably absent are facts that the average size 14 woman is 5’ 4”, overweight and at risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as a host of additional medical complications.

“Redbook always has had a friendly tone, but don’t let that friendliness lull you into comfortable obesity,” said anti-obesity advocate MeMe Roth. “If you’re post MarieClaire and Glamour but not ready for AARP, I’d suggest reading Shape or SELF and getting your nutrition information from consumer watchdog, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI.) The CSPI takes no corporate or political money and publishes the exceptional Nutrition Action Healthletter. Until Redbook Magazine gets real about the risks associated with extra heft rather than parading health-compromised, plus-sized women in its pages, boycott it.”

Redbook Magazine, a Hearst Magazines title, reaches an audience of 2,350,000 each year, 90% women the average age of 44. The magazine’s tag line is “The Married Girl’s Guide to Life.”

“Redbook is a popular title and certainly knows its audience and advertisers. It’s quick to point out the “W” in plus-sized clothing stands for ‘woman.’ I wonder if that’s what Gloria Steinem and her contemporaries had in mind?” said MeMe Roth. “In Manhattan there’s a window etching that reads, ‘Life equals outrunning lesser versions of yourself.’ I couldn’t agree more. Name one men’s magazine that would parade its overweight employees? Redbook needs the courage to be honest with its readers and stop the patronizing articles. Instead of extolling the virtues of loving your body at any size, let’s ask women to love their bodies by keeping them healthy—and certainly offering advice that women become physically fit well before having children.”

Fast Facts:

Women are at the center of the obesity epidemic. More than 90% of family food-buying decisions are made by women.
65% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
A child of overweight parents is 15 times more likely to become overweight.
Today’s generation of children is the first to be given a lesser life expectancy than their parents.
This due to obesity related health complications: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
The Wedding Gown Challenge encourages women to focus on being fit for life—maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)—well before, during and long after their wedding day.

About MeMe Roth
MeMe Roth is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge. As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools, eradicate Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen), and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on Fox's Your World with Neil Cavuto, CBS’s The Early Show, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, TimeOut New York, Big Apple Parent, WABCRadio, 106.7 LiteFM, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, Suburban Essex Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, News Target, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog, Nippon TV, The Associated Press and Health Magazine. Ms. Roth’s agenda: Brain/Body/Libido. “Let’s re-tool the image of ‘mom’ and live a lifestyle free of excuses.”

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The Associated Press, NY Daily News, CBS, NBC4, UPN9, FOXNews, Nippon TV... You're a hit! Congratulations...See you next year: Same size. Same place!

2005-08-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

CBS's The Early Show is expecting us Friday Morning! Then we'll proceed thru Central Park to the Bethesda Fountain.

2005-08-02T07:22:00.000-04:00

* Friday, August 5, 2005
* 7:30am – CBS The Early Show at 59th Street and 5th Avenue
* 9am - Procession to Bethesda Fountain - Central Park
* Bouquet Toss (Donated by 1-800-FLOWERS.com) Symbolizing a New Legacy

CELEBRATE FIT WOMEN LIKE YOU! THE WEDDING GOWN CHALLENGE - Celebration of women committed to being fit before, during and well after their wedding day. Put back on those gowns, dresses, suits and join us for the photo shoot at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, NYC. (Don't have access to your gown? Just wear white.) It may be several days, years or babies later, but you've still got it goin' on!

Our chance to show the world women are bucking the obesity trend: The first annual Wedding Gown Challenge, NYC.

As seen in… TimeOut New York Magazine, FOX’s Your World w/ Neil Cavuto, Big Apple Parent Magazine and on… 106.7FM Spot-Lite on New York, Q104.3FM, WABC Radio, BaristaNet.com and HipMama.com.

See you this Friday!

Directions/Map Scroll down...

ABOUT MEME ROTH
MeMe Roth is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge. As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on Fox's Your World with Neil Cavuto, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, WABCRadio, 106.7 LiteFM, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, News Target, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog and Health Magazine.

MeMe Roth is this week's guest on 106.7 LiteFM's "Spot-Lite on New York." Sun. 7/24, 6a.m. Eastern

2005-07-21T03:27:00.000-04:00

The Wedding Gown Challenge: Take It! Friday, August 5, 2005, New York

2005-06-20T08:57:00.000-04:00

(June Brides, Women's Obesity & Eddie Van Halen? Scroll down...)

Pull it out of the closet, storage, your mom's house...or just wear white...and PROVE to the world that you can still fit into your wedding gown. Your big day may have been last week or the last Millennium; either way, it wasn't your final destination, nor the end of your being who you are. You've still got it going on, and this summer in New York City is your chance to show your stuff.

It's more important than ever for kids to see fit grownups. Children are invited to join their mothers during The Wedding Gown Challenge.

* Friday, August 5, 2005
* 7:30am - CBS The Early Show window at 59th Street and 5th Avenue
* 9am - Procession to Bethesda Fountain - Central Park
* Special Bouquet Toss sponsored by 1-800-FLOWERS.com
* People Magazine photo shoot and more press coverage...Be there!
* RSVP today! FREE

DIRECTIONS:
Bethesda Fountain, in the heart of Central Park. Please enter the park at 69th Street and Fifth Avenue, or at 72nd Street and Central Park West.

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 6 train to 68th or 77th Streets (east side), 1/2/3/9/B/C
trains to 72nd Street (west side), 10-15 minute walk
Nearest Bus Stop: M1/M2/M3/M4 to 72nd St & Fifth Avenue (east side), M7/M10/M11
to 72nd Street & Central Park West (west side), M66/M/72 to Fifth Avenue or Central Park West (crosstown), 5-10 minute walk

MAP:
http://www.kelley-graphics.com/centralpark/cpmidview/sec4mdvw.html

JUNE BRIDES, WOMEN’S OBESITY AND EDDIE VAN HALEN?

-MeMe Roth, Wedding Gown Challenge Host, Ties It All Together-

New York, NY – June 20, 2005 – As brides-to-be across the country starve themselves into unhealthy and unrealistic weights for just one day--their wedding day--The Wedding Gown Challenge reaches its six-week countdown. The Wedding Gown Challenge celebrates like-minded women who have chosen to be fit for life rather than just one day. The driving concept behind The Wedding Gown challenge is for women to stop thinking of their wedding day as the “big day” when one works her self into a state of unhealthy and unrealistic expectations, only to outgrow her gown on the honeymoon. Instead it's about having the expectation of being fit before, during and well after the “big day.”

Today, there is little expectation that women will hover near their wedding day size. However, the facts according to Yale New Haven Hospital, and others, is that women need only blame five to 10 pounds on pregnancy. Additionally, gaining a modest 10-20 pounds after age 18 materially compromises one's health. According to the New England Journal of Medicine and reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), gaining merely 10-20 pounds after age 18 increases your chance of premature death by 15%.

Q & A with MeMe Roth, Wedding Gown Challenge host and organizer:

Q: What is the Wedding Gown Challenge?

MeMe Roth: It’s a celebration of women committed to being fit before, during and well after their wedding day. These are women who can still fit into their gowns days and years after their “big day.” We’ll be in Central Park, New York City. Pull out those gowns, dresses, suits--or just wear something white--and join us August 5, 2005.

Q: Why now?

MeMe Roth: June Brides all over the country are starving themselves silly as we speak. They’ll get to an unhealthy and unrealistic weight just in time for their wedding day. And by the time they return from the honeymoon? Their gown won’t even fit. Forget those buff bride boot camps. Fitness is for life, not a cheesy wedding portrait on the mantle.

Also, it’s more important than ever for children to see fit grownups. The Wedding Gown Challenge is a celebration of just that. Children are invited to join their mothers during The Wedding Gown Challenge.

Q: Your critics say your idea is sexist.

MeMe Roth: Sexist? Projecting onto women that once they become wives or mothers it’s okay to just get fat is sexist. It’s no accident Gloria Steinem looks better than ever at 70-something.

Q: You used the word “fat.” What do you mean exactly?

MeMe Roth: Fat is health-compromising excess weight.

Q: Why the sole emphasis on women?

MeMe Roth: Women are the focus because women--married women, especially mothers--are most at risk. On the flip side we’re the most likely to stop the obesity epidemic. It’s never reported that women are central to the obesity epidemic, but we are. Women make more than 90% of food-buying decisions. I hate to give women one more thing to do, but intervening in the obesity epidemic is up to us.

Plus there’s a long list of diseases and complications obese women are likely to suffer from or make worse: Breast cancer, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, dementia, infertility—it goes on and on. Not to mention sleep apnea, snoring and psoriasis.

Q: What about child obesity?

MeMe Roth: Apples don’t fall far from the tree, and neither do peaches. Mothers must break the obesity cycle; we can’t leave it solely up to our children. If we’re fat, our children are 15 times more likely to be fat. This generation of children is the first to be given a lesser life expectancy than their parents. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, social stigma—you know the list.

Some child somewhere will sue his parents for making him obese. Mark my words; there will be a lawsuit.

Q: Isn’t obesity hereditary?

MeMe Roth: I come from a long line of obesity and always assumed I would get fat after I got married and fatter still with each child—just like my relatives. The groomsmen on my wedding day even wagered as to how long it would be until I got fat. I don’t blame them; I wondered the same thing.

The worst thing you can do is tell someone her weight is not up to her. Genetics, pregnancy, depression—all great excuses, but unless you have a doctor’s note stating otherwise, your fitness is 100% up to you.

Q: What do you weigh?

MeMe Roth: It’s not about the number. I know the five-pound range where I recognize myself—in looks, energy and confidence. The rest of the world told me I looked great 15 pounds heavier, well with that dreaded caveat “you look great for having had children.” Forget that; I just want to look great.

I don’t believe in diets and never have. It’s up to you to decide your fitness is of paramount importance. Once a woman makes that decision, she’ll figure out the right balance of food and exercise that works for her.

Q: What about Anorexia?

MeMe Roth: This isn’t about women struggling with Anorexia and other serious eating disorders, or those diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome. The Wedding Gown Challenge speaks to the general population of women—where more than half are overweight or obese. Outside of Hollywood and New York City, the bar is set entirely too low.

Q: You’ve suggested dumping ones fat friends?

MeMe Roth: Your fat friends are more likely to suggest a Starbucks topped with whipped cream than your fit friends who might think a yoga class or quick jog sounds fun. This is about your health; it’s no different than alcoholics avoiding drinkers.

Q: Any special motivation?

MeMe Roth: I see staying fit as an obligation to my self and my family. Back in the 80s when I was Van Halen’s “number one fan,” I did get the chance to meet the band. Eddie Van Halen made me promise I’d never get fat. He said I looked like something out of Playboy. Talk about making a girl swoon... I kept my part of the bargain; maybe he’ll come to the Wedding Gown Challenge?

Q: I heard you’re in Playboy.

MeMe Roth: I’m told by the editors they’re publishing a piece I wrote about MILFs in the August issue of Playboy. I agree with Uma Thurman; being a mom is sexy sexy sexy!

Q: Parting advice?

MeMe Roth: Join me August 5, 2005 in New York City for the Wedding Gown Challenge. I’ll be there—this year and every year. Some will choose to don their gowns among a small circle of friends, others alone, and still others have set goals to join us next year or the year after. The Wedding Gown Challenge is a standing invitation to all women.

About MeMe Roth:
MeMe Roth is host and organizer of the Wedding Gown Challenge. As an anti-obesity advocate, Ms. Roth's efforts to eliminate junk food from schools, eradicate Secondhand Obesity™ (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen), and to celebrate women committed to remaining fit have been featured on Fox’s Your World with Neil Cavuto, New York Magazine, The New York Post, Playboy Magazine, The New Jersey Star-Ledger, WABCRadio, Q104.3, Parents Magazine, Vicinity Magazine, School Administrator, American School Board Journal, The Winnipeg Sun, UPN Channel 9 News, Baristanet.com, The Item, WCRN Boston, BigFatBlog and Health Magazine.

2005-05-02T08:02:00.000-04:00

Wedding Gown Challenge Announced for New York City August 5, 2005

-- Women at Center of Obesity Epidemic and Intervention. Women Make More than 90% of Food Buying Decisions --

New York, NY – With obesity rates soaring, The Wedding Gown Challenge is announced today to celebrate like-minded women who have chosen to be fit for life rather than just one day. The driving concept behind The Wedding Gown challenge is for women to stop thinking of their wedding day as the “big day” when one starves her self into a state of unhealthy and unrealistic expectations, only to outgrow her gown on the honeymoon. Instead it's about having the expectation of being fit before, during and after the “big day.”

Today, there is little expectation that women will hover near their wedding day size. However, the facts according to Yale New Haven Hospital, and others, is that women need only blame five to 10 pounds on pregnancy. Additionally, gaining a modest 10-20 pounds after age 18 materially compromises one's health. According to the New England Journal of Medicine and reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), gaining merely 10-20 pounds after age 18 increases your chance of premature death by 15%.

“This very day happens to be my wedding anniversary—I can fit into my gown today and plan to for a long time to come. Why? Because contributing to the obesity epidemic is unacceptable, unhealthy and a ridiculous role model for the next generation of wives and mothers,” said MeMe Roth, Wedding Gown Challenge host and organizer. “Forget buff bride boot camps that promise weight loss just in time for your wedding. Commit to being healthy for your life. Come celebrate August 5th with the many women who’ve chosen to be fit for every day, not just one.”

Wedding Gown Challenge: Take It! August 5, 2005, New York
Pull it out of the closet, storage, your mom’s house…wherever it is…and PROVE to the world that you can still fit into your wedding gown. Your big day may have been last week or the last Millennium; either way, it wasn’t your final destination, nor the end of your being who you are. You’ve still got it going on, and this summer in New York City is your chance to show your stuff.

August 5, 2005

Central Park, New York City
Procession to Bethesda Fountain
Bouquet Toss Symbolizing a New Legacy

Fast Facts:

-Women are at the center of the obesity epidemic. More than 90% of food buying decisions are made by women. Women have the opportunity to intervene now.
-65% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
-A child of overweight parents is 15 times more likely to become overweight.
-Today’s generation of children is the first to be given a lesser life expectancy than their parents. This due to obesity related health complications: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
-The Wedding Gown Challenge encourages women to focus on being fit for life—maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)—before, during and after their wedding day.

MeMe Roth Speaks Out:

“Somewhere between the wedding reception and delivery room, many women abandon their brains, body and libido.”
“It’s wrong to be fat. It’s easy, but it’s wrong.”
“We know who buys the food. We can let junk food swallow our children’s health or we can intervene.”
“Dump your friends who plan to grow fatter with every year. Surround yourself with those who aspire to greater things.”
“Stop scape-goating your pregnancies.”
“As your metabolism slows, you're supposed to adjust your eating and exercising, not just submit.”
“Refuse to excuse.”
“We should all, with a little help from SPANX, be able to squeeze into our wedding gown, regardless if it's several husbands or babies later.”

###

2005-01-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

Name Anyone Who Can Still Fit into Her Wedding Gown
(a friend? your wife? you?)

Wedding Gown Challenge: Take It! August 2005, New York City
Pull it out of the closet, storage, your mom’s house…wherever it is…and PROVE to the world that you can still fit into your wedding gown. Your big day may have been last week or the last Millennium; either way, it wasn’t your final destination, nor the end of your being who you are. You’ve still got it going on, and this summer in New York City is your chance to show your stuff.

Women of all ages are invited to join in this momentous occasion, the Wedding Gown Challenge, NYC August 2005, where we paint the town in Wedding Gowns. Show yourself…and the rest of the world what it looks like to be a woman. Little girls need not assume that growing up means growing fat.

“Do it for yourself—Do it for all daughters across the country,” said MeMe Roth, Wedding Gown Challenge organizer and host. “There’s a detrimental expectation that all women get fat. Think ‘mom’ and you’re thinking pudgy lady at the grocery store. It’s an outdated image and terrible legacy. Let’s blow it out of the water.”

Maybe it was one “big day” or a few trips down the aisle… Maybe you’ve never had a baby or you’ve had four. No matter what, you haven’t let yourself go--You’ve never let life events lower the standards set for yourself. No excuses! You’re a role model for all women…and this is your chance to make a difference. Join us this August 2005 New York City. Wedding Gown Challenge. Take it! DATE/VENUE TBD.

2005 New Year’s Resolution? Or just time to reclaim your body? Start today and be ready for the Wedding Gown Challenge…and the rest of your life’s adventure.

Fast Facts:

Yes, bring your daughters; heck, bring the whole family…
Yes, share your stories… Oldest, Youngest, Kept that weight off, Had many children and still stayed fit… We all want to hear your tale.
No, it doesn’t cost any money… Just come for the photo op and show the world that not all women are destined for fat farms.
No, you don’t need to be a mom, just someone who’s kept her self-standards high…
Keep posted to this site for updates on the latest information re: the Wedding Gown Challenge
Portion of Proceeds to be donated to charity fighting against Child Obesity

**Sponsorship Inquiries Only - Please contact MeredithPR - 770-846-1911**