Healthy at any Size

In honor of “Healthy Weight Week,” take time to just celebrate where you are and focus on making day to day healthy choices no matter what size you are. By mid January, many people are struggling to keep up with New Year’s resolutions. This could be due to unrealistic plans or goals. While it is true that our country faces continuously rising rates of obesity, we also are a nation with poor self-acceptance. Women and teenagers are especially at risk of low self-esteem. Some of this is driven by media images of too thin models that make it hard to measure up. As many as 10 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorders.

It starts at an early age with our old friend Barbie. There are actually several university groups that have done mathematical calculations to determine that if Barbie were a real woman, her measurements would be a 39 inch bust, 21 inch waist, and 33 inch hips. She would be so top heavy that she would actually have to crawl!

So what is a healthy weight? Your weight should be proportionate to your height so if a person is tall they should weigh more than a shorter person. I frequently whine to my sister that it is so unfair she is 2 inches taller than me because that means she can weigh more than me and still look good!

Body Mass Index is the mathematical equation to determine this proportion. Use the BMI chart below to help determine if your weight is healthy. The goal is to be in the green section.

You can also use this link from the Center for Disease Control If you would prefer to calculate your BMI:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

Keep in mind that a BMI is only one measurement of health. If your BMI is not in the “optimal” range, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are unhealthy. Making healthy food choices and exercising regularly go a long way even if you are overweight.