I have been tossing this around in my head for a while, and I would like to throw the question out there to the masses..
How important is it to be thin, if you are not having health related issues with your current weight?
I heard a quote by Tyra Banks not long ago, and to paraphrase, she said she promotes good health, no being thin. (this from a former supermodel is really amazing to me)
It made me think, just how important is that number on the scale? I have a friend who works for weight watchers (hi Sandi ) and she would probably agree with me, I am not convinced that a certain low NUMBER makes me healthier than a higher number. I doubt that the powers that be at weight watchers would agree with Sandi and I though. LOL
Some of you know me better than others and know that I have battled my weight all of my life. I was the fat kid, the fat teenager, and the fat adult. My highest known weight was 324# 15 years ago, and now I am 97# lighter, but I am still not "thin". I say "known" weight because I have a feeling I was heavier at one time, but I didnt step on the scale.
I am not sure I will EVER be "thin". I have a genetic predisposition to obesity, because I am primarily of native american descent. (the blonde hair is from the beauty shop. LOL) Cherokee Indians are NOT thin. None of the women in my family are thin. My mom and my dad were both native american, my dad is cherokee, my mom is blackfoot, so my sisters and I have been kind of doomed from the start. Both of my sisters are overweight too, so I know its not just me.
I am trying to figure out what the definition of "thin" is for me?
Health-wise, I am a type II diabetic. Another curse that goes along with my ancestry. I dont use insulin, I am not horribly out of control, and my blood pressure has not been high since I lost weight. my cholesterol is low, and with the exception of bad knees (8 years of high school and college softball and lots of skiing in my life), and sciatica (from a skiing accident) I am not in bad shape. My diabetes will be with me forever, no matter what my weight is.
Maybe I am trying to give myself "permission" to accept myself as I am and understand that there is nothing wrong with being me, maybe I am trying to give myself excuses for not wanting to diet every day of my life.
I am interested to hear what you all think, not necessarily about my situation but about the topic in general.
Is it more important to be thin or to be healthy??
4 comments:
Somewhere along the line someone decided you could not be overweight and healthy. Damn them! LOL. This may wind up being a novel so I hope you ahve a while :) While I do believe that weight plays a role in health to a degree so do many other things. There are MANY thin people out there with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetic, and just plain out of shape. My mother is one of these people and she is 5'3 and weighs a whopping 112 lbs soaking wet. So there are many genetic factors as well. Obviously she does not have weight issues, but people do associate these diseases and conditions with being overweight. Now me on the other hand.......all of my conditions are due to my weight....and my weight is due to addiction issues which ALSO run in my family. I don't drink or use drugs....but I use food to self medicate. The problem isn't any different....but the drug is. So you are right.....we do ahve the power to change and become healthy BUT I still believe you can be a larger person and still be healthy. Some people will never be "thin" but if you fee good about yourself who cares :)
I have been thin, although at the time I didn't think I was, and I have been heavy 250+. I am somewhere in-between now. I have many, many health issues none of which will change if my weight goes up or down so that part doesn't really matter to me. What does matter is how I feel. I feel my healthiest where I am now. I would be considered overweight but I have learned to be o.k. with it. I would think that this attitude has more to do with my growing older and finally accepting that this is who I am. I was never 'that' girl and I never will be and I don't want to beat myself up about it anymore. Thin does not equal healthy...attitude and moderation work for me!
Jojo, I feel the same way. I have spent my whole life beating myself up and I am done. Sad to say it took 52 years to get to that point though. LOL
Tina, I keep seeing shows on tv and books trying to tell us that we are "addicts" but I am not so sure. Especially because we have to have food to live, so there can be some grey areas there.
Whatever it is, accept yourself it will be much easier on you!
I say be at peace and embrace the Serenity Prayer. I, too, am overweight and have a lot of health problems but unfortunately the meds to help with the health problems also keep me from losing the weight. So I choose mental health over thin(not that thin would ever happen in my inherited gene pool!)and accept that 3X is perfectly acceptable to me. I walk when I can, eat as healthy as I can afford and when God is ready for me, He will take me thin or thick.
Thanks for posting this. I needed to affirm my thoughts on this.
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