An article on Monday by Gina Kolata about “The Biggest Loser” contestants who are struggling six years later with regaining much of the weight they lost on the show drew a flood of responses from New York Times readers. The article — “After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight”— explained how the body fights back hard against major weight loss, with changes both to how many calories a person burns when at rest, and levels of some hormones. Readers posted more than 2,500 comments and the article was the most shared on The Times website and Facebook page on Tuesday. Below is a selection of responses, which have been edited for clarity.

Fat shaming

At last we have persuasive medical evidence that being overweight is a disease rather than a moral failing. And some people appear to be dealt a fat future at birth. My cousin in a thin family was “chubby” from the time she was 3 years old. She has battled to stay thin since she was 10. Doctors have chastised her for eating too much, slapping her with the conventional wisdom that her “excess calories” are the problem. A person of determination and discipline, she had fought hard over the years, dieting for months, exercising by swimming, bicycling and hiking. Dozens of times she has lost the pounds only to see them come back to the point her previous weight has been surpassed. At age 34, she now weighs 285 pounds. At 5’ 5” she is “obese.” To spend time with her can be heartbreaking. As we walk down the street, I watch people regard this gallant woman who has struggled so hard with contempt and disgust. Some even make comments, like “You should be ashamed” or “stop gorging.” Thank goodness she has many people who love her, including a handsome, fit husband (whom she met at the gym). She is a brilliant, wonderful human in a fat body.

—Samsara

So can we stop our cultural tendency to fat-shame people now?

—Working Mama in New York City

‘I have been dieting all my life’

This is depressing and more than a bit overwhelming. As someone who has struggled with weight almost all of my adult life, I can’t help but wonder if I am fighting a losing battle or making things worse in the long run. Stay at my current weight (overweight though not obese) or diet and risk lowering my already low metabolism even more? I exercise daily and vigorously though that seems to have little impact on my weight, but have gone on and off heavily restrictive diets for more than 10 years. And it’s true, each time I stop, I gain a bit more weight, so that now I am 20 pounds more than I was 10 years ago.