It’s been a minute and having read some disturbing statistics recently, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on obesity and the body positivity movement.
I’ll start off by saying I am all for the body positivity/acceptance movement. I also realize I might be late to the party on this subject. I applaud this movement for encouraging people to not tie their self-worth to their body image. And there is zero reason for anyone to judge another person’s body.
However, I do not support it in the name of disregarding your health.
“Physical inactivity is estimated to cause 2 million deaths worldwide annually.”—The World Health Organization.
“Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are escalating national and global epidemics that warrant increased attention by physicians and other health care professionals. These intricately linked conditions are responsible for an enormous burden of chronic disease, impaired physical function and quality of life, at least 300,000 premature deaths, and at least $90 billion in direct health care costs annually in the United States alone.” – The Archives of Internal Medicine.
These statistics are devastating to me because we are living in a world where inactivity is encouraged and obesity is lauded as “fat acceptance.”
Many people in the body positivity movement believe that the desire to lose weight is never legitimate, because it is an expression of the psychological toll of fat shaming.
It’s OK to want to lose weight.
And no, you’re NOT healthy at ANY size.
A person with anorexia is just as unhealthy as a morbidly obese person. A medical professional will determine if you’re healthy at YOUR size, not a body positivity model on the cover of Cosmo.
If your doctor says you need to lose weight because it’s better for your heart and your joints or because you’re prediabetic, then you ought to listen. Know your numbers- cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, A1C, thyroid, testoterone etc.
Loving yourself and desiring to change yourself are two sentiments that should be able to peacefully coexist.
If you don’t like something about yourself, don’t simply accept it because that’s how “it is.”
You can also notice you want to change something about your body without coming from a place of self-loathing or trying to “fix” something that’s wrong with you.
Read those above statistics again and if it hits home for you, TAKE ACTION.
Get off the couch.
This is not a call to “workout more.” It’s a call to simply move our bodies in whatever way we can and appreciate our bodies and the abilities we possess.
Go for a walk with your family instead of watching TV.
Take your mom on a hike.
Take your son to a soccer field.
Take your daughter to a self defense class.
Don’t let the people you love be sedentary. The consequences are dire.
Hit reply and tell me your thoughts on body positivity and what it means to you.
Is it being taken to the extreme, like so many things?
Should we be shutting down the conversation in a culture that sends confusing messages about dieting, body image and health?
I do have more to say on this topic but will save for another conversation for the sake of brevity.
In your corner always,
Jen
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