All Aboard!

Yesterday I took the day off to go hunting with my father-in-law.  Unfortunately I am still recovering from a sinus infection so I decided to stay home instead.  It was a pretty productive day!  I spent most of the day putting out Christmas decorations with my two year old. Our biggest accomplishment was setting up a train we got as a Christmas gift last year.  It's amazing how exciting little things can be when you are two years old!  She had a blast all day!

While I was busy around the house the TV happened to be on.  At one point there was a talk show on (sorry I don't know which one).  I didn't catch the whole show but the part I did overhear was talking about being overweight.  It was interesting because they were talking about celebrities who have gained weight and are "proud" of it.  There was talk about the need for those people to advertise for "plus" size women.

So without trying to offend anyone, I'll ask the question....Is it good to portray the idea that being overweight is "beautiful" or acceptable?

It’s an interesting and controversial topic.  Magazines, movies, websites, and advertisements are full of men and women who have the “perfect bodies”.  It’s the acceptance of these “Barbie doll” figures that leave us feeling depressed about our own bodies.  These feelings often lead to unhealthy behaviors.  It’s especially dangerous to our younger population who are easy to influence. I agree this is not healthy!  

On the other hand we know that being overweight carries with it other potential issues.  When I work with a person who needs to lose weight my focus isn’t on how they look.  It’s most important to me that they become healthier.  I want them to have a better quality of life.  Studies show that obesity increases our risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Carrying extra weight places increased stress on our bodies and joints.  It has also been shown that losing weight, even as little as 10%, can have a huge impact on reducing our disease risk.   Knowing these facts, why would we want to convey that is OK to be heavy?

It's unfortunate that we live in a society where people are quick to judge someone who is overweight.  It's often thought that these people are lazy, sloppy, and have poor hygiene.   We know this isn't true.  Being overweight has nothing to do with beauty or intelligence.  There are many beautiful and brilliant people in this world who happen to be overweight or obese.  That doesn't define them.

I would never judge someone because of their weight.  There is much more to a person than how they look.  Being overweight is not who you are.  It doesn't define you.  It shouldn't decide your happiness.  

So back to the question at hand.  Is it good to portray the idea that being overweight is "beautiful" or acceptable?  It's my opinion that we need to look at this as two separate issues.  The first issue is our physical appearance and the second is our physical health.  

I do think we need to teach people to see beneath the level of our skin or body fat and look at who we really are.  Real beauty is more than how we look.  However,  I do fear that this concept can be misinterpreted by those who struggle with their weight.  You do run the risk of people accepting their obesity as being OK.  At this point they may be convincing themselves that the associated risks are not real issues.  As a health professional I just don't believe it's a good thing to promote anything that makes us less healthy or places us at increased risk for disease!  

What do you think?