It seems to me that "true nudity" is about the freedom of being restricted by societies expectations and norms!
So then, why do most of the pictures seem to be young people? Why aren't older women (out of shape, a little heavy, unfortunalty also have cellulite) pictured walking through the parks, or playing a game at the camp?
Free1010Bird

I am 69 years old but never again will I be as young as I am now.

What photos have you been looking at ?
Most nudist photos today ARE older, over weight and out of shape.
Anything pre-70's folks were in much better shape, but that's true of the general US population as well.

What is wrong with being old and out of shape? Why do we keep classifying nudists based on their body types? Why can't we all be on the same level? This whole obsession with nudists being old and overweight is seriously growing tiresome. You can find flaws everywhere in every single person but why dwell?

I agree with an above poster that said Age is relative. You ARE only as young as you feel. To someone who is 70 years old, 40 may seem young to them. Someone who is 40 probably views someone under 30 as being young.

To me, young is under 18...but are all nudists under 18? No. Age is relative.

we are not young but very much love to be nude around all ages
tim and Karen

What is wrong with being old and out of shape?

There's nothing wrong with being old ! ( out of shape however, does not contribute to GETTING old ! )

Why do we keep classifying nudists based on their body types?

That's a good question.
The answer likely has something to do with motivation. Why is one a "nudist" at all ?
I suppose it's possible for young and beautiful to feel out of place ( as I sometimes do ) but wouldn't that be true in the textile world just as much ?

Additionally, I have seen a newsreel or two, from the 40's or 60's, or whatever. Something a few decades ago in any case, where they do say that nudists tend to be ( at that time anyway ) in much better shape than the general population. The reasoning being that since we are much more aware of our bodies, we tend to take better care of them, since any defect of choice is no longer hidden by clothing. That the "lifestyle" itself, lends itself to better health, more exercise, a more aware diet, and such. Also suggesting that we ALL, nudist and textile, would rather present the best us we can be, and since the criteria nude has nothing to do with choice of clothing, style, and such, we tend to try and keep our skinsuit as well tailored as reasonably possible.
One of those newsreels did have a grossly overweight woman, laughing and having as much fun as anyone, and humorously mentioned that she was a bit unusual among the great majority of nudists, but none the less neither excluded, nor out of place in a nude environment. Nudism doesn't discriminate, even if some nudists do !
My own observations ( as well as documented research ) suggest that the vast majority ARE older, with the median age somewhere close to 50, but I've seen some "older" folks who are in GREAT shape ! My own observations do strongly suggest that keeping ones self "in shape" is far, far less popular today than before the Johnson administration, and that this seems true in both the textile world as well as ours.

I am 63 yrs. old and young at heart. My weight is the same it was 19 years ago. The passing of time does make changes to us that are inevitable.

I guess the original poster hasn't spent that much time looking at photos since this is his first post.
Nudism is not about seeing or being seen. Nudism is the gret human equalizer, and it shouldn't matter what we look like just how we act, what we say, and how we are inside.

The type of people you meet will depend on where you hang out. Since I vacation in health retreats, the fellow vacationers tend to be the more fit variety at any age. Due to our diet/fitness, we often appear to be younger than we actually are. As an example, there are not many 60+ year olds that can do advanced yoga poses, or have the desire to swim 40 laps, or other physically demanding health activities. Those that can, often look to be in their late 40's at worst, and also have that glowing personality of someone who just loves to be alive.

I have no problem with the size of a person, but lets be honest a person who takes care of there body, im not talking like model type of body but at least in shape or fit, is attractive more so then a person who is overweight. When the young crowd looks at most nudists all they see are "older" and more overwieght nudists it does no justice to what people think. Proof is on the site, the people with at least fit or fit loooking bodies are way more commented then the ones who appreance is not up to fit level. Its not about nudists should accept whatever body type becuase most do, its just the the human body is more attractive when kept up. Simple as that, it looks good and for health reason it is good. Age also has nothing to do with it, cause there are many who are older and still keep there body up, just because nudists are suppose to accept everyone i dont think think that justifies letting yourself go. Again im also part of the young generation and looks are something that are important to me so i may be bias, but nonetheless the truth is the human body looks good when kept up, lets be hoenst please. I hope this doesnt start a flame war, just my 2 cents

guess i must be as young as the person I feel, lol

Young and old are just words, ultimately.Old shouldnt be a dirty word. Being old isnt equivalent to inactivity, suffering and regret. Young isnt synonymous with activity, fun and happiness. I think we should truthfully celebrate the entire life cycle, the advantages that being eighteen has, the advantages that being eighty has, etc. You might lose one thing to time, but you gain another. When old people use variations of the word young to describe the happy components of their lives, it only makes young people more narcissistic and fearful of the aging process.
Fitness is a touchy subject, especially in a nudist forum, where observations about physical fitness may be viewed as contrary to the nudist philosophy. However, I dont think it is inappropriate to recognize that our culture (especially here in America) has grown increasingly obese, less active and subject to more health problems as a result. Living in the rural south, Ive noticed that its almost considered undesirable to be thin, as size is a symbol of strength and health. Big and healthy are synonymous. Many a friend and family member have suffered heart attacks, strokes, diabetes-related problems, and kidney problems that have been attributed to their weight. So, I have mixed feelings on the matter. Im not going to berate someone for their weight, but I also think its wrong for society to simply ignore the health implications, glossing over a possible problem with statements like every body is beautiful. Thats true, its absolutely true, but after sitting in the ICU with four loved ones who had suffered heart attacks and knowing that two of them died because their overworked lungs and kidneys couldnt keep up makes me feel guilty about simply ignoring the health of component of being heavier. Yes, everyone knows a marathon runner or a fitness freak who had a heart attack at the age of thirty, but those incidents tend to be rare.
But, each person has to make their own choices. I just think its as bad to downplay a danger as it is to impose ones own choices on another. I dont preach to my family about the dangers of smoking and eating deep-fried Twinkies at the county fair, but I also dont offer blind reassurances about the state of their bodies.
I dont care what they look like, but I want them to stick around

I'm a real youngster

The nudist ideal is equality and body acceptance. Unfortunately, humans are not ideal. When a society has for decades rammed the "beautiful people" myth down the throats of its members, it is inevitable that the prejudices and skewed viewpoints will not be left at the gate of the resort or the parking lot of the beach. The people within nudist venues can remove their clothing, but they can't shed their opinions and their biases.

The major difference between nudist and textile environments is that in our circle, no one has a cloth exoskin to project an image of who he/she is. The proverbial nudist mantra about not being able to tell the doctor from the bus driver based on what they are wearing is of course true.

However, the culturally-conditioned response to imperfect bodies is if anything enhanced in the clothes-free milieu. Those minor body imperfections that can easily be concealed by a couple of layers of cloth are out there for all to see when naturists gather. And nudists, being imperfect people, will notice them. The true nudist will refrain from commenting on them and will see the person AS a person, not as a biochemical machine.

When one is tempted to judge others by their bodies, the person to start with is in the mirror. If that reflection does not reveal an Adonis or an Aphrodite, then be kind to other less-than-10s.

Young and old are just words, ultimately.Old shouldnt be a dirty word. Being old isnt equivalent to inactivity, suffering and regret. Young isnt synonymous with activity, fun and happiness. I think we should truthfully celebrate the entire life cycle, the advantages that being eighteen has, the advantages that being eighty has, etc. You might lose one thing to time, but you gain another. When old people use variations of the word young to describe the happy components of their lives, it only makes young people more narcissistic and fearful of the aging process.
Fitness is a touchy subject, especially in a nudist forum, where observations about physical fitness may be viewed as contrary to the nudist philosophy. However, I dont think it is inappropriate to recognize that our culture (especially here in America) has grown increasingly obese, less active and subject to more health problems as a result. Living in the rural south, Ive noticed that its almost considered undesirable to be thin, as size is a symbol of strength and health. Big and healthy are synonymous. Many a friend and family member have suffered heart attacks, strokes, diabetes-related problems, and kidney problems that have been attributed to their weight. So, I have mixed feelings on the matter. Im not going to berate someone for their weight, but I also think its wrong for society to simply ignore the health implications, glossing over a possible problem with statements like every body is beautiful. Thats true, its absolutely true, but after sitting in the ICU with four loved ones who had suffered heart attacks and knowing that two of them died because their overworked lungs and kidneys couldnt keep up makes me feel guilty about simply ignoring the health of component of being heavier. Yes, everyone knows a marathon runner or a fitness freak who had a heart attack at the age of thirty, but those incidents tend to be rare.
But, each person has to make their own choices. I just think its as bad to downplay a danger as it is to impose ones own choices on another. I dont preach to my family about the dangers of smoking and eating deep-fried Twinkies at the county fair, but I also dont offer blind reassurances about the state of their bodies.
I dont care what they look like, but I want them to stick around

Good post Camper. I hope your comments on about fitness being a touchy subject were not directed at my post. I was merely commenting on the fact that if you only visited nudist health retreats you may be inclined to question "are true nudists young?" ...which is the title of this thread.
Whether I am in a textile or nude environment, I try to surround myself with people who have that glow about them that says that they love being alive.

middle-aged, cellulite infested, out of shape here!
Are you referring specifically to this site or to the nudism movement in general?

Jen

The most impressive sight I've seen at Gunnison Beach was a couple of Summers ago, when I noted a couple sitting on beach chairs near the water. They were both nude and holding hands. I had made an educated guess that they were in their 80's.
To me, who has been to nudist venues around the World, age has nothing to do with nudism, as nudism is simply body acceptance and freedom!!!

Thank you
appreciate your feedback.

It's quite possible that the OP, who was a new member at the time of the first post, was not refering to TN specifically, but to the NINO (Nudist In Name Only) sites that are loaded with hot-bodied 20-somethings that drastically skew the image of nudism.

The nudist binaries newsgroups are basically the same, babes and a few studs playing volleyball or lying on beach towels with the camera's focal point on their genitalia. And of course there are the infamous nudist exploitation magazines and films of the mid-20th that gave the impression that nudists are 99% under-30 women with perfect bodies, with the token male thrown in for "balance".

Real nudism doesn't sell very well to the T&A crowd. They want to spend their bucks on wanking fodder, and the nudists that you find in resorts or on typical beaches don't fit that demographic.

I think we see a good mix of both young and old, and both in and out of shape on this site.

most nudists areold and out of shape, but people prefer looking at pictures of young, attractive nudists. A lot of the older ones see no need to show off photos of themselves. Some of theless attractive people areunwilling to place their photos in the public view, where they would be compared with lithe young models.Hence a disproportionate amount of photos are posted of young, fit nudists.
It tends to be older men post a lot more than older women, because there is less of a glamour industry for male nudity. For us it is more about, "this is me, this is what i did, this is where i went" and less about "this is what i look like".

OK OK this is a long thread with no apparent end. BUT, I must comment. In my mind there is "EYE CANDY" and "MIND CANDY". I most certainly prefer to look at pictures of young attractive healthy bodies of either gender. They are beautiful. But "EYE CANDY" is just that a sweet without substance. many of the "older" nudists have experiences to talk about and are very interesting people. The fat out of shape person does not have eye appeal. BUT, that doesn't mean they arent appealing people. Oh Contrare!! I also like to see photos of ANY nudist of ANY shape doing normal things of life while naked. The posted shots in a lounge chair or on a blanket tell me nothing of what that person does or thinks. I have pictures (of my naked old fat flabby body) in mykayak, carrying buckets of water in the barn, Riding the tractor, unmloading firewood from my truck, etc. those that want to know me can get an idea of the things I like doing. If they want a beautirful picture to hang on the minds wall...forget it!! I still look at those beautirful bodies... but only at their beauty no for substance. So there are more young beautiful bodies in photos than the rest . LOVE it. But we all choose our friends for other reasons.

Lilstones

It seems to me that "true nudity" is about the freedom of being restricted by societies expectations and norms!
So then, why do most of the pictures seem to be young people? Why aren't older women (out of shape, a little heavy, unfortunalty also have cellulite) pictured walking through the parks, or playing a game at the camp?
Free1010Bird

I believe that the answer lies in marketing, and since "sex sells" the pictures you are talking about are probably used tolure people to the park. I am not saying its "right" just saying thats how marketing works in the US and probably other countries. The people I have seen at the parks I have been to have been across the entire spectrum of body styles and ages, young, old,in shape, outta shape, you name it. Dont let the park websites fool you into believing that all nudists are young trim and perfect, life just doesn't make us that way.

I think the original question was a very good one, why do parks promoting a clothes free lifestyle portray only the young in shape people on their websites and in advertising? I have a friend that is having a hard time going with me to the camp site that I go to because she feels that nudists are slim and trim and she feels that she will feel out of place there, I think the marketing style should be changed to portray the "real" people that are nudists....

This is truely one of my favorite threads. Over the last couple of months, I have re-read the posts several times. To me, everyone has posted well thought out replys. In fact, it is the type of itelligent conversation that I have witnessed 99% of the time while at nude venues as apposed to

This question and it's parallel "why are they all so perfectly fit?" are, in my opinion, part of the reason so many people shy away from a nudist experience. They are afraid "they won't measure up" to all those around them, when the reality is that true nudists come in all shapes, sizes, colors and ages just like the world around us.