Healthy Doesn’t Mean Size 2
April 28, 2009
I am genuinely dismayed when I read time and again how people (mostly women) are starving themselves on some fad diet so they can “get skinny.” The sad truth is that skinny doesn’t equate to health. In fact many skinny people are very unhealthy and overweight people may be healthier than their skinny friends.
How can this be so? Lots of reasons.
- People who starve themselves to be thin don’t receive the nutrients their body needs to function at its best. Lack of proper nutrients can lead to all sorts of medical problems such as high blood pressure, hypo-glycemia, cancer, heart problems, and more.
- People who are not getting the right nutrients and exercise are not building the muscle mass necessary to effectively burn calories and fat. This can lead to health problems, fat deposits in the hips and belly, and the inability to sustain a good physique into the middle-age years. We all know that muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat, and that’s one of the keys to maintaining weight loss.
- Some researchers believe that you can still be fat on the inside even though you are skinny on the outside. What this means is that fatty deposits surrounding vital organs may be invisible from the outside but can be worse for you than the fat you see. Overweight people who get regular exercise can, in fact, be healthier than thin people who may have these fatty deposits surrounding vital organs such as the heart and liver.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that obesity is a healthy lifestyle. What I am saying is that we should not set our sights on being a size 2. It’s not about being skinny, it’s about being healthy.
Make the necessary changes in diet and exercise to give your body the nutrition and strength it needs to function efficiently and the weight will take care of itself.
If you are one of those naturally thin people who never have to worry about excess weigh, please remember that you may still have a very unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, I would challenge you to take a close look at your diet and exercise habits. Often times naturally thin people don’t worry about nutrition because they can eat what they want without gaining weight and they don’t exercise because they don’t need the activity to maintain their weight. The truth is that your body still needs good nutrition and exercise regardless of your weight.
Let’s move past this idea that we have to strive to be a size 2. Love your body, not matter your size and treat it with the respect it deserves. Build a healthy eating plan (notice I did not say “go on a diet”), get regular exercise, make sure you get enough sleep, and you will be well on your way to a trim, healthy physique.
Comments
13 Responses to “Healthy Doesn’t Mean Size 2”
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Well said! I remember being a size 2 in high school and all I ate was junk. That’s definitely not better than this bit of post-pregnancy pounds I’m (temporarily) carrying while eating 6 servings of fruits just yesterday. There’s no way I’d aim for a size 2 again.
That girl on the runway looks absolutely terrible!
I agree. Size 2 does not mean healthy unless you’re built to be size 2.
I’m small/petite so I am between size 0 to 4 depending on my hormones…BUT starving yourself is totally not the way to go!
And we do need fat in our body.
Thanks for posting. There are a lot of women and girls who are struggling with self-image.. I hope more focus in on living HEALTHY as opposed to looking skinny.
Jenjen
http://www.GottaLoveMOm.com
THANK YOU!! This so brightened my day even more to know that healthy is not a size 2 or a size 0!! I know that I am not a size single digit and am happy knowing that I am exericising, eating healthy, birthed a singleton and twins and feel better than I did when I was a size 2!! Great post!!!
Thanks for your great comments and congratulations on the new baby. Your first?
We have a huge problem in this country regarding body image and young girls (that’s another post). I’m so glad to hear you’ve moved past the need to starve yourself and have opted for healthy instead.
The runway model really does look bad doesn’t she? Unfortunately, that’s the type of role model we put in front of our young girls — I can only hope it changes some day and we teach our girls to be healthy and love their bodies.
Jenjen -
Thanks so much for stopping by and contributing to the post. I am envious of your healthy size being 0-4. I’ve had to work hard all my life to stay at a healthy size but only recently have focused on health rather than weight loss. While I would love to be naturally thin, I have learned to love my body and not worry about an extra lump here or there. You are absolutely correct — some people are naturally a small size but they are the minority, most of us have to work at it. I couldn’t agree more about focusing on healthy rather than skinny.
Thanks again for your contribution.
Cheryl
Hi Karie -
I can’t tell you how much it means to get feedback like yours. The reason I maintain this blog is in the hopes that I can have a positive impact on my readers’ lives.
I’m in the same boat — at size 14, I am healthier now than I have been in the past 10 years. Sure, I’d like to lose a few more pounds and get down to size 10 but that’s not my sole focus. If my eating plan and exercise are in line, the pounds will eventually come off. More importantly, I no longer have high blood pressure, my cholesterol is good, and my blood sugar is under control.
I’m so glad to hear that you feel healthy and strong. I’ll bet you get a lot of exercise keeping up with three kids! It sure is nice to bounce up a flight of stairs without gasping for breath, isn’t it?
Thanks again for your great comments.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
Great post! I so agree with you. And I appreciate Karie’s comment as well–I’m a mom of 3 also (including twins) and while I don’t have my 20-year old bod, I am definitely in better shape than I’ve been in a long time. (for reference, I’m 5′9″ and about 140lbs–yes, a size–ugh!–10!) I believe part of it is genes, but a lot of it is just living a non-obsessive healthy lifestyle and focusing on HEALTH vs. unrealistic, unhealthy ideals.
ps….now following from MBC!
Hi Nancy -
Good to see all the moms on the site. Thanks for your comments.
Cheryl
Oh hell no that offends me because i am a size to but i am naturally skinny. I don’t find that funny at all and just to let you know i dont look like that model there i am fine and healthy! thats what my doctor said so you guys should think about skinny peoples feelings!!!!
Hi Merelyn -
My sincere apologies if my post offended you. The intent of my post was to point out that many people equate being skinny with being healthy and they are not the same thing. If you are naturally a size 2 and have a healthy lifestyle, I applaud you — you are a good role model for other women.
The unfortunate truth is that many women starve themselves to achieve a dress size with no thought of the health risks they may be incurring. The picture of the model is a reality for many women and as your reaction indicates, it is not a pretty picture.
Again, please accept my apology if you were offended and my congratulations on a healthy lifestyle.
Cheers,
Cheryl
im not trying to be mean but thats grows and i agree
I think there is nothing more important than looking thin and in healthy shape. At the end of the day im 15 and everything is about body image. You have to be a size 2 just to fit in and to get attention off of people. I mean who wants to date a fat person at my age.
and also i think that model looks amazingg!!