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Friday, October 14, 2011
Can You Be Fit AND “Fat?”
by Erika Nicole Kendall
From NBC Nightly News, I bring you this delicate little issue with the sensational little title.
My thoughts were, of course you can be fit and “fat.” And considering how “fat” in America is anything over a size 4 – depending upon who you talk to – MANY of us are “fat” in someone else’s eyes… clearly that doesn’t matter anywhere near as much as the stuff that keeps us alive. That stuff is filed under that “fit” label.
Those who I’ve dialogued with outside of the site know how I feel about this “fat” thing. As I’ve said before, my primary goal was just being a healthy weight. The vanity aspect of it came when I could afford to be vain and think about looks.. which, basically, was when I had my health situated.
There’s a point in that clip that disturbed me, though – the thinner woman said, “Because I am thin, because I’ve never been sick,” she never thought that her system could be in such bad shape because her body wasn’t in bad shape. I think that the American understanding that our “outer” is a direct reflection of our “inner” is what’s making it so hard for us to have these conversations about health.
What do I mean? I mean that we keep connecting a person’s size to their ability to be healthy. It shortchanges the people on both ends of the spectrum. If being obese is the epitome of poor health, then if I’m superskinny I should be good, right? I should be able to avoid all of that, right? Ever heard of metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a series of diseases that appear in the body in conjunction with one another as a result of a poor diet yet doesn’t always result in obesity. It creeps up on people because, since they believe their small frames alleviate them of the responsibility of caring for their systems, they tend to not only ignore any warning signs that their habits might be unhealthy but this also results in them continuing in said damaging behavior!
I guess I wanted to share this because I want us to stop thinking this skinny/fat thing is so linear. Good health manifests itself within ourselves mentally as well as physically. It extends itself far beyond a nice body. Taking care of ourselves means inside as WELL as outside. Don’t let yourselves get caught up in BEING skinny or shooting for skinny. Aim for better health first and foremost, and I can assure you everything else will become MUCH simpler!
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On the other end of the spectrum, I’d hate for a “fat” person that is healthy to rest upon that. I believe that I am healthy and can do a lot of things that “skinny” girls can do. However, I would have for a “fat” person to receive a clean bill of health and feel as though they don’t have to lose weight.
—Tracy
But Tracy, if the “fat” person receives a clean bill of health, why should she have to lose weight? If the fat isn’t actually impacting her negatively, then who are we to say that she has too much of it? What if she is eating healthfully and exercising and she stays the exact same weight?
I believe we should all be healthy, but when things like this are said, then it’s really about aesthetics. The problem with the aesthetic focus is that it gives others the ability to presume to set priorities for you. If a fat person with a clean bill of health chooses not to go the extra mile and lose weight, it’s really up to her and not anyone else.
—Katryna
I don’t know, Tracy… I’d have to wonder – how much weight are we talking? Like I mentioned earlier, everyone has different definitions of “fat.” Would they be losing weight purely for aesthetic purposes at that point?
—Erika
Based on the results in the video, I guess it would be aesthetic. And you’re right. “Fat” is subjective, especially in America. However, we hear all the time that “you might be healthy now, but your weight CAN (and WILL) eventually lead to health problems.” If it’s true that one can be fit and “fat,” then why encourage people to lose weight? Even at my weight and all my stats being good, should I even bother losing weight? I get so confused with all these reports. As soon as I try to lose weight to get “healthy” and save myself from future complications, I get reports telling me that I can be healthy and fat. I feel like a hamster on a wheel…
—Tracy
I have a friend who is SKINNY as a beanpole and she just got diagnosed with high cholesterol. I think it’s partially due to her love of butter and partially from genetics. No matter what you look like, it’s important to have a balanced diet and lots of exercise!
—Ashley
I am SO going to be posting this video (and linking you of course) on my blog. I am much like the “fat” woman in the video in that I work-out daily, eat well but still manage to weigh about 180-ish and wear a size 12. On the outside I may not “look” like I work-out as much as I do but my doctor says I am in great health and my BP has gone from the 140′s to 120′s.
I do wish the disclaimer was a little more thorough. “Healthy” can come in all sizes but there are a lot of us that think being “thick” without weight/diet consideration is okay.
Great post!
—Brittany
@Tracy, I think we’re mixing signals, here. If a person has a clean bill of health and their weight is kept in check, losing weight would be for aesthetic purposes. And when I say “kept in check,” I mean as in it doesn’t fluctuate to beyond 5lbs north or south of an intended goal.
I think you’re touching on a bigger issue within mixed signals, here. Additional weight isn’t usually the problem, it’s a visible symptom of the larger problem… which IS an unhealthy lifestyle. You’re generally told to “lose weight” because there’s a market for thing to HELP you lose weight. The woman in the video didn’t need to lose weight, and she was all jacked up on the insides – hence the problem with the focus being on LOSING WEIGHT and not being HEALTHY.
Combine that with the fact that the image of the “tiny woman” is constantly being put in our faces, and the message quickly becomes “lose weight, be healthy.” It then mutates into “lose weight to be healthy.” All wrong. You feel me?
If you are completely healthy and living a healthy and active lifestyle, you couldn’t possibly keep on the excess weight. It’s not physically possible. Because of that, I question the definition of “healthy” we are using here. I don’t know you or your stats to pass judgment, so I hope you don’t think that’s what I’m doing. But this is why I always say the focus should be on living a healthier lifestyle.. because once you fix that, the weight literally FALLS off. You dig?
Having said allllll that… at the end of the day, we just need to be honest with ourselves. Honest about what “fit” and “healthy” really mean, whether we are “close to” or “far away from” the definition of those… and what we really want out of life. After that.. just go after it. That’s all.
—Erika
great post! i agree wholeheartedly with your objection to the statement “because i am thin i have never been sick” that is not true. being within a healthy weight just places you at lower risk, not guarantees you will not ever be sick or develop certain diseases.
—PhluffyPrincess
I like your article; it’s really interesting.
—Hidi
I haven’t watched the video (I’m at work) but this issue is a big one for me. I am active, eat a healthier diet than most people I know (whole fresh foods, tons of veggies, no refined sugar or starch, etc.), and I am also still overweight. I can definitely do more to lose weight more quickly, and I am plodding along on that journey, but I totally disagree with the idea that if you’re doing everything right, eating well, exercising, and living a healthy and active lifestyle, you cannot possibly keep any excess weight on. That’s simply not true. A 40yr old woman who eats a moderate diet of 1400 calories coming from fresh whole foods, and who gets an hour of real exercise every day (Zumba, weights, whatever), could very easily hold on to an extra 30-40lbs forever. I would argue that she is healthy and fit while being overweight. Aging, metabolic resistance, body type, heredity, and other factors all come into play.
The weight doesn’t fall off as easily as we women get older. Sure, if a person is making a lifestyle change and suddenly becoming a better eater, starting to work out, etc., yes, those lifestyle corrections will bring positive changes. But if someone is already a healthy eater, already getting adequate vigorous exercise, already doing everything right, she could be very healthy by all metrics and still be overweight.
—Heli
I’m sorry, we’ll simply have to agree to disagree.
I’ve already written about aging here, but if a 40yr old woman is still holding onto 30-40lbs, its because she is creating an environment that allows for that 30-40lbs to be maintain. 1400 calories and active EVERY day? 30-40lbs? I’m sorry, I’d require more details regarding “1400 calories from fresh whole foods” because “fresh whole foods” can be abused just like processed foods. Add to that the fact that most people more often than not underreport their caloric intake? No, I’m sorry… there’s not enough detail for me to change my stance on that. I can understand the struggle, but 30-40 is a little much to be claiming to do everything right.
If a woman is still having trouble losing weight after “doing everything right,” then outside of a hormonal imbalance (which, at 40, if you’re enduring a hormonal issue – as, unfortunately, a lot of us do – you should feel like an exception to what I’m saying here, anyway) it means you simply need to change your environment/intake/activity.
I don’t want you to think I’m chiding you or chastizing you, but since you offered your situation up as a reason for me to not think the way I do, I did take a look at it honestly. I hope you don’t feel offended, because I know that kind of scrutiny can put people off.
—Erika
See, this is confusing me – the woman in the video who exercises regularly, and has a doctor saying she is healthy – has a BMI of 29.8. As someone who has a pretty similar BMI, that isn’t too different from being 30-40 pounds overweight. (I don’t know her height, so I can’t say for sure, but let’s just say I’m a 28 and am approximately 30-35 pounds overweight). So… Is she not doing everything right, even though her doctor says she is? (Obviously she might be lying to him about her food intake and exercise level, but she can’t lie about the fact that “healthy” presumably means her weight isn’t fluctuating greatly over visits, and she sure as hell can’t hide a bad heart or cholesterol.) So isn’t this video going against what you said – that weight just “falls off” when someone has healthy practices?
(And for the record, I DEFINITELY don’t have healthy practices, and in fact guess that genes are the only reason I’m not heavier. Of course I’m working to change that – that’s why I’m here! – but this is just the disclaimer saying I’m not talking about me.
)
—Bannef
People can avoid disease and maintain health without living 100% healthily. Perhaps that last few percentage points are what keep the additional weight on for her. Perhaps she likes the additional weight. I’own know – I gave up trying to size up other people’s bodies a long time ago, mama.
—Erika Nicole Kendall
People look at me and think I’m unhealthy all the time. I’m a runner. I watch what I eat religiously…there are no short cuts. I work out everyday to the point that I don’t miss a day…haven’t missed a day since June 4th and I may still be mad about that…LOL! I’m really good at maintaining weight, but not particularly good at losing it. I have test results…I’m not borderline anything–hypertensive, diabetic, cholesterol is excellent. But I am a big girl–again, this is subjective…to my eyes, I’m fat, to friends and guys, I’m thick and to the doctors, I’m super morbidly obese (at a size 14). I don’t believe that my weight will eventually lead to complications—I mean, what more can I do? I’m healthy, the doctor says I’m healthy. Yeah, folks give me the side eye when I say that, but *kanye shrug*
—Trina
Don’t worry, I’m not offended–I’m not really talking about myself. I freely admit I don’t exercise as regularly as I should, and go over my calorie limit more often than I should. Sure, if I cut my sleep back to 5hrs a night I could get up extra early and work out, then get my kids up & out, get to work on time, etc. I’m not going to do that on a daily basis (can’t, won’t) so I have to be satisfied with super slow weight loss and fitting in a few great workouts a week, plus a few minutes of basic exercise everyday. I’m still working on baby weight, and just barely stopped nursing, so it’s cool. My goals are realistic and reasonable for me right now.
But short of going to extreme lengths (and yes, I do think exercising more than 60-90min every day on top of having little kids and a FT job is extreme), sometimes those last 30lbs just aren’t going to come off. I think what you call a hormonal imbalance/issue can also simply be a natural hormonal shift due to aging, which I would argue is closer to the rule, not the exception.
Just ask my 45yr old fat runner friend. This woman runs about 10mi/day. She’s 100% vegan, mostly raw. And she is fat. Chunky, thick, solid, fat. To see her in shorts you can tell she’s solid, but she’s got some serious padding and it’s not all muscle. Metabolic anomaly? I guess…but maybe her body’s healthy place is truly a slightly soft but truly fit 170lbs. *shrug*
—Heli
I read a great piece called confessions of a fat runner by jennifer graham a while back. She is a very fit “fat” women after reading this article I think about how even when I was fit and smaller I was always at top of my “normal weight” bracket. I think you can definitely be fit and fat.
—chocolate milk
I think some people here have missed the point. The point is you absolutely cannot make assumptions about the state of ones health based on the size of their bodies especially if they are thin or within a normal weight range.
Working in healthcare I see thin to normal weight people all the time who are absolutely shocked to find they have major life threatening diseases that are nearly always associated with being overweight. Yes, thin/normal weight people can have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardio/vascular disease, metabolic syndrome which is basically pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes and even gall badder disease. A person can also be morbidly obese and not have any such diseases and generally be in good health.
The point is a person’s size is not the best indicator for health. The danger is thin/normal weight persons in this society like the woman in the video can be very easily deceived into believing that just because their weight is normal they are healthy. Such deceptions can cost a person their life.
On the other hand a person who is overweight must be demanding of the healthcare system when they do have health issues because people working in healthcare like everybody else in this society have been conditioned to believe that everything is related to their weight and not take them seriously, which again can cost a person their life.
A friend who is also a medical doctor almost died because at 4’10″ and weighing maybe 100 lbs she is absolutely tiny. She had very severe gall bladder disease which is considered a “fat persons” disease. She suffered greatly and had many complications following her surgery because of the state of her health, not her size. It was her assumption as well as that of other physicians that she her size meant she was generally healthy which she wasn’t and that she was too thin to have this disease.
Another friend also in the healthcare profession spent years trying to get a correct diagnosis and treatment for a life threating disease hypoparathyroidism w/tumors and hypothyroidism but was not taken seriously because at around 215 lbs she is morbidly obese. Every doctor assumed that if she just lost weight all her other symptoms would resolve. By the time she got a correct diagnosis she had suffered tremendously. She recovered well from surgery with zero complication because despite being fat she had a good diet and exercised regularly and was generally in good health.
The point is size should never be the measure for the state of a persons health regardless of if the person is thin or fat. There are too many other factors and too much at stake to make assumptions.
—Diane
I have been guilty of the “I’m-doing-everything-right-my-body-just-must-not-be-able-to-loose-these-last-30-lbs,” excuse. And after reeeeealy changing to full clean living and constant motion, I have to say I was FULL of it.
If or metabolism clings on to pounds for dear life, it means 1 hour of exercise (no matter how intense) isn’t enough. I learned that from taking boot camp classes at 6am. I didn’t loose weight, but I became crazy strong and full of energy. By jump starting a day with a trainer (I weight train in private, but NO ONE, especially the overweight know how far to push themselves without years of practice) I have the energy for the rest of the day to eat small smart portions. To think of food as fuel, not as a reward, or an addiction. And then after work, I have hd energy to go for a run and to yoga.
I work with kids, so I make every single moment of our day active, good for them, good for me. So if you work a desk job and come home to kids, make the kids time as active as yours. Good for you, good for them. In short, if you’re too tired at the end of the day to work out, you’re not eating as smart as you say, or aren’t exercising enough.
Being clean, healthy and very active will always drop weight. You just have to be honest about how hard you’re actually working, and most people aren’t.
—Katy B