Weddingbee boards

I agree, but would like to add that "fat" (if we're going to by society's definition, meaning some extra pounds) does not necessarily mean one is unhealthy.

there is definately a difference. i am fat, i have extra pounds that increase my bmi and make me look not so 'lump free' (lol!) but am i healthy?? for the most part yes ( i could do better, but cant we all?). i do not smoke, i work out at least 4 days a week, i eat healthy, my blood pressure is fantastic, etc. i think people just associate the word fat with unhealthy, like they go together or something? which they definately do not. i also believe that when people say fat, it is also attached to the word, obese, overweight, etc. these are all seperate terms and should be used accordingly.

@kate169: I didn't equate "fat" with healthy; just felt the need to point out that fat and unhealthy do not always go hand-in-hand, like many people believe. It does, however, depend on the definition of "fat" (overweight? obese?).

@kate169: Consider, then, that people can be very skinny and still unhealthy. You can be healthy or unhealthy no matter your size.

I just really don't like the way the terms are used in general.  To me, fat is a descriptor and doesn't carry any sort of character judgment.  People may be fat b/c of natural body type, bad habits (either eating too much OR a lifetime of yo-yo dieting), thyroid issues, medication side effects, or a million other reasons.  I try really hard not to judge or assume based on body size because the truth is you can't tell and beyond that someone else's lack of exercise or love of fast food doesn't really affect me.

(I know some people argue that it increases health costs, but so do contact sports, fast driving, not buckling up, eating too little, or not going to the dentist.  I think judging people on the health costs they inflict on the economy is a pretty lousy way to choose your friends!)

Likewise, I really really hate the way fat is linked with unhealthy.  You can be fat and healthy (especially when so many people think fat starts at "a little bit chubby" which is much healthier than being bone-thin).  You can be thin and unhealthy.  Most health issues have little to do with body size.  You can be unhealthy because you have a cold, or cancer, or because you broke your leg.  Lumping body size and habits in as a huge part of health often gets tied up with blaming the victim of illness.

There is definitely an issue with unhealthy habits and nutritionally-devoid food and the resulting chronic health conditions in the world right now.  But I'd argue that that has a lot to do with poverty - the poor and less educated are MUCH more likely to have weight related health issues.  If you look at diabetes rates in the inner city, it's an epidemic, whereas if you look at a wealthy suburb, all the people with diabetes have type I or are very old.

@Entangled: I'll admit, in terms of myself I have thought that "Fat" starts at "a little extra weight," which is why I've struggled with my body for so long. But at 5'4" and 138 lbs, I don't think I'm "fat"--I think I'm healthier (and healthier-looking) than I ever was when I weighed less. I agree that weight by itself should not automatically equal healthy or unhealthy.

@Statutory Grape: That's the thing... I've read studies that suggest that all this "obesity crisis!  oh noes, fat = death!" does nothing to affect the habits of those who are actually causing themselves serious harm.  Because they've either tried and failed at so many diets and regimes that they've given up or, more likely, they're very poor and have more important things to worry about than their health 30 years from now.  The people those messages do hit are younger women who are either at or just above their ideal weight, who feel like they're not thin enough.

I know you've dealt with this a lot, but you probably are just as healthy if not healthier than you were before... if you look at the CDC's studies of long-term death rates, a study of OVER 200,000 people, people who were in the "overweight but not obese" BMI range lived the longest!  Which is not to say that everyone should try to pack on 10 extra pounds, just that if you're naturally active and healthy in that weight range, good for you. 

Besides, height and weight alone are pretty silly indicators.  I know a whole bunch of people, myself included, whose body compositions are muscular enough that BMI becomes totally useless.

Thanks for the link! Seems like I've been causing myself a ton of undue stress for nothing (thinking things like, "Oh, five more pounds and I'm officially overweight...").

@Statutory Grape: Totally causing undue stress.  I know, I've been there.  Overweight is one of the most useless terms around, since if you're active enough to be building a lot of muscle, you could be getting overweight as you get healthier! 

I've come to accept the fact that I have curves now, which means a little extra meat on my bones (and have learned that a lot of guys find non-flat stomachs way sexy--who'd have thunk, right?). The best thing for me to do is to live as healthy as possible instead of obsessing over how I look/what I weigh/measurements, which was totally stressful. I carry most of my weight in my hips, thighs, and butt, so of course I'll have a slightly higher fat % because of that--I'm not build to be stick-thin, haha. Long live the jiggly bits!

@Statutory Grape: A lot of people start to have more curves after they get past their teen years.  I think, hormonally, it's pretty normal.  Also, if you're holding your weight in your lower body, it's not really causing the same sort of metabolic damage that it does if it's close to your organs in your midsection.  (and, cute!  totally agree about that)

It's WAY, WAY healthier to not get down on yourself about this.  Mental stress and self-hatred are terrible for health and qualify of life.  Seriously, do not turn out like me and my beating myself up for not going to the gym (when I would have thrown up all over my trainer). 

Of course, it's easier to be healthy in a world that does not equate being skinny with health, which is why I hate the way we look at fat as such an insult and unhealthy as a synonym for it!

@Entangled: That's what it all comes down to, too--the belief that if you're not thin, you're fat and unhealthy. I have a thyroid problem, too, and on top of that will never be below a size 10/12 because of my hips. But I'm trying hard not to let it get me down, because I had a seriously effed-up body image for a long time (ex told me I was a "fatass" when I weighed 105). The weird thing is, though I'm rough on myself I don't really see other women as "fat" or anything. I do, however, notice if a girl looks like she hasn't eaten in about a month (not to be mistaken with naturally thin).

@JennyW1: It seems liek she eats very healthy foods and exercises, so my question would be how is she over 300 lbs? That just doesn't seem to make sense, unless there's an underlying medical condition or it's related to a medication that she's taking. No body just naturally plateaus at 300lbs unless there's something else going on...

What @hilsy85: said.

@JennyW1: I didn't mean to imply that you're lying or that you're expected to know everything about her physical health, lol, sorry! :) And I do agree with your general point that some people are genetically predisposed to be thin and others to be overweight...but I think it's to a point. No one is genetically predisposed to be 5'9" and 100lbs and no one is predisposed to be 5'9" and 300 pounds either...those are too extreme to be sustainable or healthy over a long period of time. But I'm glad to hear that it seems like she is in good physical health now, at least!

There's always a lot of judgement in all directions and everyones body type is going to be different.  Sometimes I think the what's fat question is just a distraction.  The main points are to eat healthy and use your body so it doesn't deteriorate.  When people don't do that problems occur. 

In one of the old places I worked there were two people who were around (not exactly but around) the same height and weight.  The one was our parents age but was probably healthier than average, even though she called herself fat and definately wasn't a skinny minny, her weight just suited her.  She was very active and really cooked well so unless she packed in potato chips on the sly I think she was just at her happy weight.  On the otherhand the girl my age ate fast food all the time and really never exercized.  When you would walk down the hall with the two of them it was very clear who was OK healthwise and who wasn't, the younger one would have to walk very slowly and get quickly out of breath.

So I donno, I think there's better measures of health than just 'fat'.

@JennyW1:  I really agree with the third part of your post.