Blow my mind - the mayor said "perder peso"?

Question

I had the opportunity to listen to the "informe de gobierno" in Puerto Vallarta this evening, and the well-educated and very savvy mayor was talking about areas in which the government has helped the local citizens. He said "...y tocando el tema de la salud, hemos ayudado a tres mil mujeres a perder peso." Seriously, all the Mexicans I have spoken with use "bajar de peso". This mayor has some English, but not a lot, so I do not believe that he patterns his speech after English.

Is this becoming a common term in Mexico?

It matters little which word you use to loose weight....to loose weight, to rid oneself of unwanted fat cells matters not if you use perder de peso o bajar de peso. - eldevino, Dec 10, 2011

"Lose" weight. Not "loose" weight. - Goyo, Dec 10, 2011

Answer 1

I use bajar de peso, but my medical spanish class, teacher, and book all use perder peso.

Wow! Blow my mind again! :) Thanks, Jeezzle. - mountaingirl123, Dec 10, 2011

Answer 2

En España, lo habitual no es ni "perder peso" ni "bajar de peso", lo normal es GANAR PESO! jejej

Bromas aparte, por estos lares solemos decir "perder peso" pero también he escuchado "bajar de peso".

Answer 3

I utterly fail to see what's so odd about this. Where I'm from, where I have lived, and where I live, "perder peso" is and has always been an extremely common expression. Definitely not something new at all!

Answer 4

This dictionary has it: perder peso

Answer 5

Why do you think that perder peso is influenced by English?

I don't understand.

Maybe because it is a little idiomatic, and happens to be identical to English. - pesta, Dec 10, 2011

Answer 6

I learned: ¿Qué hay que hacer para perder peso? (What does one have to do to lose weight?)

That's a line from Learning Spanish Like Crazy, using all native speakers and based on Spanish from Colombia.

I never heard "bajar de peso" before! - Goyo, Dec 10, 2011

I think both are used, but bajar de peso is more correct. - BellaMargarita, Dec 11, 2011

Answer 7

I am not surprised, Spanish is increasingly influenced by English especially in the U.S. I heard traido a ustedes por which was obviously a literal translation of brought to you by.

Answer 8

Perder de peso is a used most of the time but bajar de peso is correct as well.

sorry i mean used expression - xicotillo, Dec 10, 2011

Your post was perfect as is :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 10, 2011

Answer 9

I've only heard "bajar de peso" in Mexico and Guatemala.

We must hang with the same crowd! - mountaingirl123, Dec 10, 2011

Answer 10

If you think about it, it does sound a little odd... Perdí peso, hasta que ya estoy flotando... But I have to admit I never thought about it.

¡Disfruta Puerto Vallarta!

Well, technically you could lose all the weight you wanted, and you still wouldn't float. Buoyancy is a property of density, not mass, so I suppose you would have to "perder densidad" in order to float. - Izanoni1, Dec 10, 2011