Healthy vs. Skinny

Since we are taking a trip down memory lane as of late, I wanted to post a comment that was left after one of my blog entries a while back. I think the battle between a "healthy" diet and a "skinny" diet is one that will forever (and unnecessarily) be raged. Healthy has never meant skinny. In order to be healthy, you must eat some of everything, including fat, sugar, and carbohydrates. In fact, the definition of health is "The overall condition of an organism at a given time.  Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality." Nowhere in there did it say "skinny", "thin", or on the flip side "fat", or "obese." Healthy is not a number on a scale, it is a physical and mental state. Healthy is how you see yourself and whether your body can do what you need it to do. I wish more men women, adults, and kids all embraced this notion more readily, knowing deep down that a size 2 pant size is not the overall goal, but instead a balance diet, moderate, consistent exercise, and positive self worth should be what we all destine for. I'll get off my soapbox now but this is certainly one of my passions in life. Feel free to comment on any of these concepts to share your personal opinion on the topic.

(Note about the funny formatting of this post - I have idea how to fix it! I really am technologically challenged so I am not going to worry about it and instead chalk it up to my quirky imperfect charm.)

Below is the anonymous comment to a previous post and my response:

i like that u focus on a HEALTHY lifestyle, not necessarily a "thin" one...too many young girls are told that there natural body shape isn't "right" and it's a shame.

 Anonymous

Confession time: I was one of those girls for a really long time too. I thought I was heavy and I hated my thighs and raged a war again the mirror every time I put on a swim suit. I saw all the other girls in my classes who got to wear extra smalls and small sized clothing and wondered what it would be like to always have something that fit you perfectly. But then I started to consider the opposite of my situation. I was always a healthy kid, exercised (I dance and swim religiously,) and had healthy and supportive relationships with family and friends. I always got gold stars at the doctor's and dentist's offices and never missed more than a day or two of school every year for sick days. I looked at the big picture and realized that the size on your tag is hardly a reason to have a bad day. When I was in the eighth grade I started taking control of my health by really being concerned with what I put in my body. I made smarter choices (wheat bread over white, spinach over lettuce, those kinds of things) and really educated myself on nutrition and health. Heck, there for a while I wanted to be a nutritionist because these things genuinely excited me. I liked feeling in control of my health.

Fast forward a few years and I still have my sights set on a food related career, and I still plan on helping those who want it to eat better. You don’t have to deprive yourself in order to be healthy, that’s not the goal at all. Just think about the big picture. That’s what I did and it turned me into a secure and healthy young adult. So many adolescence are constantly comparing themselves to super models and the “skinny” girls at school, but what they don’t realize is “skinny” does not automatically mean “healthy”. I would much rather be healthy, hands down, and ever since eighth grade I have kept that in mind anytime I have a "fat day." And yes, those happen still from time to time. How do I cure it? Get a good nights rest and start over in the morning.