Wednesday, 20 January 2010
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Underweight vs. Overweight: Double Standard?
Let’s face it: the starting point of what the majority of society seems to view as fat isn't even overweight at all. Obviously, being obese is very unhealthy (and clearly visible), but there are many people who view slender and toned as the only healthy body type. This sets up people with healthy pudge (that their doctors could care less about) to be put into the “fat” category as well, which can compromise their mental health and put them at risk for taking unhealthy measures (crash diets, excessive exercise) to obtain what society believes is a “healthy” body.
Underweight/thin people have been criticized, even falsely accused of having eating disorders, which is hurtful and wrong as well. However, the fact of the matter remains that being underweight is glamorized while being even slightly overweight is considered wrong. As Coke0@xanga stated, “I've never seen an ad saying "Too skinny? Try this supplement!" ...But there are ads EVERYWHERE stressing the importance of thinness through gyms, diet pills, meal plans, etc.
Being fat is not a death sentence.
There is less panic about skinniness, and if there is some great concern about skinny people not eating enough, it's reserved for the people who are clearly emaciated or close to it. The "obesity epidemic" and "fat is unhealthy" hysteria often includes people who are in the middle range BMI wise, who are thought of as fat or chubby even though they're not even close, and who are therefore given the "unhealthy" stamp.”
Also take into account how many underweight girls on Xanga respond to these posts saying that regardless of their weight, they are perfectly healthy, and yet being overweight is unhealthy. So I ask you this: If it is possible for an underweight person to have a well functioning body is it not also possible for a slightly overweight person to be just as healthy? Check out these examples, complete with a BMI summary, and decide for yourselves.
- If your BMI is under 18.5 you are underweight, and you should talk to a doctor about whether or not you should consider gaining weight. If your weight is negatively effecting your health, consider gaining weight. If not, be proud and rock what you got!
- If your BMI is between 18.6 and 24.9, you're at a healthy weight. You/society may think you're a little too skinny/pudgy. If someone has a problem with it, it’s likely because they have confidence issues of their own. Love yourself, and remember you have the right to defend yourself (as respectfully as possible). No one ever changed the world by keeping quiet. *Note: The second model from the left represents a thin but healthy BMI, while the other models represent a curvy but healthy BMI.
- If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you're clinically considered overweight. Keep in mind, the vast majority of those in the overweight category are only at risk for health problems, meaning that the vast majority do not have health problems associated with their weight. If you live on junk food and refuse to exercise, you're at risk for the health problems associated with your possible future obesity. There are, however, many "overweight" people who stay active, eat healthy, and have well functioning (aka healthy) bodies that are horribly criticized every day because they don't fit into the stereotype of what "healthy" looks like. Why should their confidence be compromised because of others’ ignorance?
- If your BMI is over 30 you are obese, and you need to talk to your doctor about possible lifestyle changes. Being obese can seriously effect your health, and if your weight is putting your life in danger, it's time to make a change. You are more important than a number on a scale, but it’s important to be healthy enough to show the world how much you have to offer as a human being.
Learning to accept those with a curvier body type should not be considered "fat acceptance"; it only furthers the stereotype that they are fat. I personally believe the word "fat" should be banished. There are those that have well functioning bodies, and those people deserve to be happy with themselves and happy in life. And guess what? Overweight and obese people deserve to be happy with themselves too, and they deserve to have people that care about them as who they are so that they have support in making the lifestyle changes needed to live a happy, healthy life.
Do you believe there is a double standard regarding weight? Has this changed your views on what it means to be at a healthy weight?
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About the Author
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- From: Shattered_Reflection13@xanga
- Name: Shattered_Reflection13
- Location: Chitown, United States
- About Me: "Survivors are those who choose to thrive in the face of adversity" (Check out my new site: vixen_with_a_cause@lovelyish )
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Comments (42)
DEAR HEALTHKICKER, PLEASE STOP WITH THE SKINNY VS CURVY DEBATE. I'M SICK OF IT AND SO ARE A LOT OF OTHER XANGANS.
Thank you.
BMI again ?
BMI does not take your muscle mass or bone mass into account, it's not a for sure way to measure your health.
myself and a few of my friends have a bmi that is considered underweight but we are, by no means, unhealthy, we eat alot and we run a lot.
@Tanezia_Delight@xanga - I couldn't agree more!
@Tanezia_Delight@xanga - Amen.
@Tanezia_Delight@xanga - Thank you for saying that.
@princessremy@xanga - The internet calculator BMIs are useless. You actually have to go to a dietician or doctor to where they actually measure your fat. That is where those numbers come from. So BMI is a good indicator if it is done properly.
@snarkius@xanga - i think what you're talking about is the body fat percentage, bmi pretty much just measures/compares one's weight and height
come on...
Disclaimer: This was already posted to Lovelyish titled "The Word Fat Should Be Banished!", so if you already read/commented on the post don't worry about it. Furthermore, Healthkicker edited out the pictures in the post, for whatever reason I do not know. I apologize for the inconvenience!
From Shattered_Reflection13@xanga / vixen_with_a_cause@lovelyish
As a muscular woman, I don't like the BMI thing, but I do want to thank you for this post that says something positive for the other 95% of the population who are not healthy at skinny. One of my daughters is 5'5" and weighs 180#. Some would yell that she is way to fat! she gets comments sometimes, but she also teaches karate for five hours a day, three days a week. She has a few fat pounds that show in her face, but most of her weight is hard muscle. She takes after her mom who was into bicycle touring and weight training.
Her dad is definitely in the bottom 5% for thinness - he has relatives who were fashion models. My second daughter takes after him. She weighs about 80# and looks like a bean pole, but also takes karate and has a healthy appetite. Like my husband, she can go to an all-you-can-eat buffet and bankrupt the place. (He once ate for four hours straight! He is 5'9" and at the time, weighed 130#)
Dude, you don't see America undergoing a "skinny epidemic". Why sell things to those who are thin, there's no profit! Make money off of people's low self-esteem and sell products that are supposedly supposed to make you lose weight.
There's profit in THAT since America is one of the most BLOATED countries there is.
- Kunoichi
@Alatariel40@xanga - I think your husband and your daughter and I would be great friends, my favourite sushi buffet place is scared of me I think...I eat 2x more than my friends...
@JoeytheGenie@xanga - Haha! You might!
I'm 'fat' acording to a scale, but My BMI is at 19.3, which is low and lean really, but that's not how I look, or weigh out. So it's all so much more complicated then looks alone
@KrazeeKunoichi009@xanga Actually, you do. The statistics regarding cases of anorexia and bulimia rise each year because girls who aren't overweight at all feel inclined to trash their health so they can fit into societies strict standards of thinness. Furthermore, girls who begin eating disordered habits while overweight are more at risk for the potentially fatal problems associated with such disorders because their insurance will not cover them for psychiatric treatment until they are underweight.
I am not supporting being overweight; as I did state that anyone who has weight issues directly contributing to their health should seek medical attention. The point of this post was that what society considers overweight often isn't overweight at all, and that it is a dangerous message to consider being underweight healthy and to push otherwise healthy people to lose weight for the sake of acceptance.
But that's ok. Most people seemed to think that the only message of this post is "Being fat is great! Let's all accept fat people!" Um, no. Aside from the fact that overweight people deserve support as who they are to become healthier, the main point is that we have young girls on xanga reading about how being bigger than a size 4 means you're fat, that the dove models are obese, and that if they look like that then they are worthless pieces of crap that better put down those forks and hop on an exercise bike until people accept them. They don't think about the fact that they might just be perfect the way they are, nor do they realize that believing they are fat when they aren't can put them at risk for addictive, life threatening behaviors.
Sorry for the rant, it's not all directed toward you, but I'm so sick of the fact that most of the people who commented on this post on Lovelyish and in general didn't even take the time to understand what I was saying, they either just launched into attack mode or ingorantly decided that we don't need to hear about the fat vs. skinny bs anymore. This post was far from ignorant, and it was far from bs. People's lives are in danger whether they're obese or starving themselves to get skinny. They have an oppertunity to help, but they just don't care. Nice little world we live in, huh?
@Alatariel40@xanga Your welcome! Though the BMI limitations regarding muscle were implied, I should have stated it directly since that was a part of what I was trying to say. I understand what you mean though; I've been through all the BMI categories there are and even being underweight my thighs were considered fat because they're bigger than the average supermodels, but no one takes into account the fact that being a figure skater since I was 4 and being able to leg press 350 means my "fat" thighs have less jiggle than the skinniest people I know! There are underweight people who are perfectly healthy, and there are "overweight" people who stay so active that their muscle mass accounts for their health. Your family seems like a perfect, living example of the point I was trying to make :)
@coralcwayla@xanga With a BMI of 19.3, there's no way you're fat! The scale reads bigger numbers because you're tall. It can be confusing, because at 19 years old being 4'6 there are no height/weight charts correlated to my age; so by BMI alone, at 77 pounds I was barely underweight while a normal height person would be starving to death, and at 130 pounds I was obese when 130 pounds would be a healthy weight for an individual at average height. It's all relative, so as long as you eat healthy and stay active, that's all you should be concerned with!
It would be nice if everyone would focus more on their own health and less on everyone else's.
And yeah, if you're SOOOO sick of reading posts like this, then why read it? Seriously, people Read the header and don't read. why do you have to comment and complain as if someone is sticking a gun to your head and forcing you to read? Gah... get over it!
they would have practically no market for the "too skinny?" pill. two thirds of the country, however, is overweight.
haha, when is saw the title, i honestly thought you were gonna defend people who were underweight because of how much 'love your curves' talk there is.
The reason there are so many more books, pills, plans,etc for losing weight rather than gaining...is because that is what sells. People seem to think that there is some evil plot against overweight people out there, they seem to forget that people sell things to MAKE MONEY. That's it, they produce and sell what people buy.
Most thin people are not too thin, so they don't purchase books, pills, programs to gain weight, because it is not an issue. Overweight people do seem to be interested in getting and staying thin, so they fork over huge amounts of cash seeking ways to do so, and businesses cater to that and rake in the cash.
Also, there are many more overweight people who are unhealthily overweight than there are thin people who are unhealthily underweight. That is a simple fact.
Now, I'll give you this...the companies that market weight loss products DO benefit from making overweight people feel inadequate and DO use tactics to make more people believe they should lose weight, no arguement there, but most of this is fueled by overweight people's own desire to lose weight, for both health, comfort and cosmetic reasons.
It is easier to be thin...easier to find clothes that look good, easier to fit into a seat on an airplane, easier to get up the stairs, easier to have sex, easier on my arthritic joints, on my heart, and on my food budget.
Having been fat, and now being thin I can't think of one thing that was better about my life because I was significantly overweight. Except for this...overweight people didn't resent me.
Yeah, that's right I've lost friends as I lost weight. So if you think that this is a double standard, let me tell you that overweight people have a double standard against thin folks too.
your BMI list does not include sex/age/height/weight... i was 15.9 at one point and extremely healthy for my sex/age/height/weight. Now i'm closer to 20 and still considered excellent. for my sex/age/height/weight >11 is considered unhealthy; around 23 considered excellent...
@driftingpebble@xanga - You are so right about losing friends when your weight changes. As I changed and lost 140 lbs, many of my overweight friends started to resent me. I decided I wanted to be healthy more than I wanted these people as my friends, so I let them go. (or maybe it's they let me go and I finally accepted it.) Birds of a feather do flock together, so for anyone reading this, if you're overweight (or underweight) and most/all of your friends are too, start making plans to hang out with people who have what you want, b/c they'll be able to show you how to get it. You will never learn to be slim if you hang with heavy people...they obviously don't know, how could they show you?
There's a saying that "the people you associate with, the books you read, and the cd's you listen to will determine who you'll be in five years." Whatever you want, find people who already have it and start copying their actions and attitudes.
BMI is extremely inaccurate, I don't trust it as reliable at all.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter so long as you are healthy. And if other people are so shallow and have such low self-esteem of their own that they can't handle it and have to call you names or refuse to date you or whatever else it is that people may or may not be worried about, then those people are the ones with the problem. And they should be pitied for the petty, weak-minded people that they are.
There are always campaigns and blogs defending curves, and fat. No one seems to defend the skinny people who get called twigs and anorexics when I doubt they ARE anorexic. If anything, the US and the UK are trying to compensate for their obesity problems by focusing on models and how anorexia is 'glamorized. News flash people, anorexia is not glamorous. It's serious, it's a mental disease.
And what's worse?
Calling someone overweight, or accusing them of having a serious mental disease?
@Tanezia_Delight@xanga - Yes.
Based on a healthy booklet I viewed, Im the lowest BMI which would be 100 pounds for 5"1, which isnt unhealthy, but it didnt mention age, which obviously is a facter. I always felt that i could never really be more then that weight because it would show since im so short i got nowhere to hide it! lol but I often am tease about being so tiny, so i like to say how im only 2 digits because my weight does go up and down a few pounds. :D aw, the joys are being small. Sadly, its only up from here.