Sometimes love begins with loving ourselves rather than the image that we wish to be. Women have long struggled with their weight and have often resorted to unhealthy ways to achieve “the magazine model” look. Several years ago when Glamour magazine featured a nude plus-size model, women applauded, while physicians shook their heads in dismay.
Now two groups have joined together to explore some critical issues that question whether or not media portrayals of unrealistic and unhealthy weight loss impact policy development. The panel slated for Monday, May 9th — which I will be reporting on — is being headed by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and the STOP Obesity Alliance for “Pounds and Policy: Effectively Communicating About Weight and Health.” They note:
— Increasing public concern about the rise in obesity may have led to societal confusion about what’s healthy and created an unrealistic pressure to be thin.— There is an underlying concern that new interventions to treat overweight and obesity may be used inappropriately both by those that are normal weight and those who are overweight or obese.
In a world focused on men and women looking for partners, “thin is in.” A survey of 4,000 men and women ages 18 to 70 by Wake Forest University determined that thin women have the advantage. Was this a hint for women to shape up before signing up for their perfect match?
Those few extra pounds
Is it women’s responsibility to starve themselves just to keep men on short leashes? Or is it time to take personal action rather than turning a plus-size model into a poster child for those who keep saying, “I just need to lose a few extra pounds.”
In fact, a look at the calculations for Body Mass Index (BMI) reveals that those “few extra pounds” are often closer to 30 pounds, which push the unsuspecting into the obese category. The reality dose is such that by BMI calculations, someone 5’3” and 165 pounds is obese.
CDC site has BMI calculator
The Web site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a calculator for determining weight, overweight and fitness that divides weight (in pounds) by height (in inches squared) then multiplies that number by 703. Sounds like hocus-pocus, but a BMI reading translates as follows: 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy; from 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30.0 or higher is considered obese — not morbidly obese — but enough to compromise one’s health.
The acceptance of overweight
In a recent National Public Radio “On Point” program, Tom Ashbrook commented that 30 percent of Americans are now obese and two-thirds are overweight. Despite nearly $147 billion spent on obesity-related illness, there is a new kind of acceptance and even celebration of heavy Americans.
The question each woman must ask herself is this: “Do I want to lose weight for myself, or to please the man in my life?”
The answer should be, “I want to lose for my health.”
As such, plus-size models should serve as an inspiration to appreciate one’s body no matter what size, but women who are above their healthy weight level should consider taking action.
Love your body but do sign up for a serious weight control program. It does not matter what program or which doctor’s advice one chooses to follow, the secret is simply eating less and moving more.
Links
Here are links to articles I have written about weight, primarily in my National Health News column at The Examiner.com
Health Minute: Weighty issue, the stigma of fat
Working moms and obesity: researcher clarifies the study
Health Minute: Working moms and obese kids go hand-in-hand
Obesity rises; Yale scientist criticizes new nutritional labeling
Health Minute: Diabetes is becoming an epidemic
Health Minute: Overweight means high costs for a heavy burden
Obesity crisis continues; FDA nixes lorcaserin for weight loss
Eat your greens, cut your diabetes risk by 14 percent
Health Minute: Take it off; obesity is a killer; how to calculate BMI
Health Minute: Get up, move, and live a longer life
Diabetes: weight gain info and new genes linked to Type 2 Diabetes
Waistlines expand and obesity rates increase in 28 states
Diet and Health: How salt sneaks up on you, 25 foods to watch
Drop that fork! these dining out meals are weighty diasters
Radical diet helps you lose flab, family, and friends, but obesity is serious problem (video)
Copyright 2011 Rita Watson/ All Rights Reserved