As a body image expert, weight is a very touchy topic for me.
I care deeply about how women feel about themselves in their bodies.
I care about whether they feel strong physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I care about how they feel energetically.
I care about how they see themselves when they look in the mirror.
And I care deeply about their health, confidence, and self-esteem.
What I don’t care about is what the scale says… Or do I?
This is the touchy part. Because the answer is both “Yes” and “No.”
From a beauty and image perspective, I certainly do not. You are beautiful regardless of your size or shape. Beauty can’t be measured on a bathroom scale.
But when it comes to health… that’s another story. Obesity is a health problem, and as much as I believe you are beautiful at any size, I also want you to be healthy.
This dichotomy gives birth to an internal struggle for me.
I serve women no matter what size, age, or weight they are.
And while I don’t love these women any more or less for losing or gaining weight, I do care deeply about their health, and often obesity breeds health conditions as this article describes.
That article explains that “because obesity contributes to a range of chronic health conditions — such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers — it ultimately raises everyone’s health insurance premiums.”
Obesity doesn’t affect only the obese individual.
Approximately two-thirds of adults in the United States are obese or overweight, and they are often offered vague recommendations from their doctors to simply “exercise and eat better”.
Obesity is not part of a healthy system, by any interpretation.
Not only are overweight Americans hurting themselves on various levels, but those of us in good shape are bearing their cross financially, as well. And the professionals who should be helping to reverse this problem are, in my opinion, neglecting their responsibility to provide us with proper care.
Let’s face it – our health care system is a mess.
This may sound like I am throwing my hands up in the air and feeling hopeless…but that’s not the case.
I am making my contribution toward healing this deep wound by teaching, supporting, and empowering women to love themselves and their bodies.
I do this by showing them through my courses, books, and coaching to appreciate themselves and respect the body they’re in, which in many cases does lead to weight release. This is a holistic and lifestyle-based approach – a sustainable and lasting method, as opposed to chronic dieting, which is generally a frustrating cycle and – ultimately – a self-defeating process.
I want to live in a world where people eat less and weigh less because they care enough about themselves to take care of their bodies.
This has nothing to do with the opinion that people are sexier when they are slimmer. It has everything to do with prioritizing the health of an individual on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
I want to live in a world where people care as much about themselves as I care about them.
I want to live in a world where women feel like their health is a priority. I want to live in a world where food addiction is treated seriously instead of receiving the standoffish instruction to “just eat less” – when food manufacturers spend billions seducing us to eat MORE, not LESS.
I want to live in a world where the health care system regards fat people as important as ALL people. Because they are.
What about you?
How would you change things – if you could – around how people take care of themselves? What do you think about paying higher health care bills because of the obesity epidemic? Should we all have to pay for that?
Please share your comments below, and let’s start an open conversation. I’ll also be hosting a live discussion in my Facebook group, if you’d like to join us there.
