Today in Health News That Will Spin Your Head Around: Forget fat because skinny is the new unhealthy. Put another way, it could be more unhealthy to be super-thin than to be obese. Now before we all get too excited about this news, let me explain.
This is based on a study that compared the mortality rates for people of all shapes and sizes. And holy beefcake: The mortality rate for underweight people is twice what it is for "normal" weight people. But the mortality rate for "severely" obese people is only 1.26 times higher. BUT! Only after researchers factored out obese people who have other health issues such as hypertension and diabetes.
So ... if you're considered obese but don't have high blood pressure or other major health issues, can you tell everyone who wants you to lose weight to shove it?
This is what people like writer and dancer Ragan Chastain have been saying. She is one of many "fat positive" women who argues that we need to stop associating "fat" with "unhealthy." And I have to admit, I'm starting to agree.
Look, I'm no Kate Middleton, but I'm on the slim side of normal. So I don't have a personal stake in this argument. EXCEPT I have a few friends who would be considered overweight but who are also physically active and eat their veggies. They're some of the healthiest people I know. And knowing them has totally changed how I perceive the connection between weight and health.
There are still definitely health risks associated with obesity. But there are also health risks associated with extreme thinness that we're ignoring (proportionally because it's more socially acceptable to be thin). At the least I think we need to stop judging fat people and open our minds to the possibility that a fat person can be just as healthy as a slim person.
Do you think it's accurate to consider all fat people unhealthy?
Image via -Paul H-/Flickr
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Comments 14
We love veggies and fruits and eat them daily. We do not eat greasy fast food that offten and when I say that I mean like 1 time every 2-3 months if that much. I am not thin lol
Different dangers, but they're both just as serious.
Can "fat" people be healthy? Yep. Just as healthy as skinny people. But morbidly obese/annorexic skinny? I don't care what study they put out. I will NEVER associate either of those with the word "healthy".
ill tell fat people to put down the fork and run i dont understand how you can get fat i was huge when i was prego but lost every pound. fat is just disgusting and lazy and i hate biting my tounge because people think they have a disability! i would rather be a skeleton then fat! and leave barbie out of it shes the ideal weight and only because your sad self does not fit that you hate
something I noticed is that when I have a little more "padding" I tend to feel better, have better digestion, sleep better etc...and and when I slim down I feel sick all the time. I eat healthy and clean, homemade food, whole grains only, no refined sugar and naturally stay on the petite side but I am by no means skinny.
Mandango, I haven't read the study, but I am familiar with the issue. I believe that they dropped hypertension and diabetes out because those are conditions that can be experienced by all ranges of weight. Also, they consider thin people with no diseases/conditions, but then say that "fat is unhealthy because you might get diabetes". Well, by that logic, thin is unhealthy because you might develop heart arrythmia. If you are going to consider one side of the spectrum with conditions, then you must consider the other side the same way, or you are skewing your results.
Sadly, I don't see this point of view catching on in the world. There are too many people like wyotechangel, who have the "fat is disgusting" mentality, and where "fat" means anything over an anorexic frame. And unfortunately, those people populate mass media - the magazines, catalogs, movies, television. Even areas of government. promote that mentality - I'm all for Mrs. Obama's push to get people to eat better, but there are those who use it to support that kind of worldview. Fat is the last group that it's ok to publicly abuse without fear of repercussions.
I am by no means skinny, and at around 240 prepregnancy I am no ones idea of a healthy person. But I don't have a sugar problem, or heart problems, or breathing problems. I have huge boobs that make it hard to get comfy most of the time (and they've BALLOONED during this pregnancy) but they'd be bigger if I wasn't so heavy. I may not be able to run a marathon, but I can walk thru the store or around the playground without getting winded and keep up with my daughter most of the time. (She's four, gimme a break)
As for Barbie and gripey up there, if Barbie's a perfect specimen of how people are supposed to look then I'm a six foot tall blonde supermodel. Hah! as far as I'm concerned, if some people weren't meant to be a little heavier, then they wouldn't look good with womanly curves, even extra jiggle. Let's face it, a woman with some jiggle is sexier than a bag of bones who picks at salads every meal, and is mean toward anyone who's ever had a hard time zipping her jeans. Some women look good skinny, some women look good heavier, some women look good short, some women look good tall. It's called diversity and we should embrace it. There's a big difference between healthy-fat and lazy-fat.