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Body Image or Health? what is the more important for you?
Replies
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I think they're equally important. Mental and physical health go hand in hand for me.3
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heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »TheRambler wrote: »all health here. I have my annual physical next Friday and the only numbers I'm excited for are: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and other blood levels. If the focus is health, the weight will follow suit (or so in my experience).
This is not true for me.
First of all, even when I was fat my tests (including the things you mention) were fine. So focusing on those things would not have been useful. My weight itself was the risk factor.
This is what I meant about smoking and alcoholism. Not having an actual diagnosable problem yet doesn't make the situation a healthy one.Second, I ate a pretty healthy diet (but for calories) when gaining weight, and yet I got fat, so the weight did not follow suit.
Thus, IMO, it's reasonable to be specifically concerned with weight when trying to focus on health. Not only concerned with weight, but concerned with it, yes.
I think a healthy diet also means the right calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight, not just what types of foods. The nutritional value of the food is definitely a part of having a healthy diet. I just think that maintaining a proper level of calorie intake is an inseparable part of having a healthy diet.
Yes, I agree with that. But in this conversation people seemed to be separating "nutrient-dense diet" or whatever from calorie control. I totally think that when considering whether a diet is healthful being calorie-appropriate is a key part of it. My diet was too many calories, so wasn't truly healthful even though if I'd described the foods I ate (and what I mostly did not eat) lots of people would likely think it was healthy.
That's why I don't think you can say that "weight will follow suit" or even really separate the two questions.0 -
It is important to get to a healthy weight for me and be healthy. I don't care what I look like so much as how I feel and function and reducing future health risks.
I was underweight and got sick often. I was uncomfortable, cold and tired often. Not really healthy or happy with my body.
At a healthy weight I felt good. I was productive and energetic. I did not get sick as often. I felt pretty good about my body.
I was obese and rarely got sick however I was in pain most of the time, out of breath, not sleeping well, tired, low energy, overheated. So not officially sick but not good health either. It was hard to feel good about a body that was not healthy. Continuing on that path would have been bad for my future health.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »TheRambler wrote: »all health here. I have my annual physical next Friday and the only numbers I'm excited for are: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and other blood levels. If the focus is health, the weight will follow suit (or so in my experience).
This is not true for me.
First of all, even when I was fat my tests (including the things you mention) were fine. So focusing on those things would not have been useful. My weight itself was the risk factor.
This is what I meant about smoking and alcoholism. Not having an actual diagnosable problem yet doesn't make the situation a healthy one.Second, I ate a pretty healthy diet (but for calories) when gaining weight, and yet I got fat, so the weight did not follow suit.
Thus, IMO, it's reasonable to be specifically concerned with weight when trying to focus on health. Not only concerned with weight, but concerned with it, yes.
I think a healthy diet also means the right calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight, not just what types of foods. The nutritional value of the food is definitely a part of having a healthy diet. I just think that maintaining a proper level of calorie intake is an inseparable part of having a healthy diet.
Yes, I agree with that. But in this conversation people seemed to be separating "nutrient-dense diet" or whatever from calorie control. I totally think that when considering whether a diet is healthful being calorie-appropriate is a key part of it. My diet was too many calories, so wasn't truly healthful even though if I'd described the foods I ate (and what I mostly did not eat) lots of people would likely think it was healthy.
That's why I don't think you can say that "weight will follow suit" or even really separate the two questions.
Weight does follow suit if you consider that the proper amount of calorie intake is a fundamental part of a healthy diet.
That's my point. It's not separate. It's every bit as important as what you eat. If people are separating that, then that's a misconception that should be swiftly corrected. It's why when someone asks me about eating healthy I always talk about getting the proper nutrients in the proper amounts and making sure not to eat an excess of calories.1 -
heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »TheRambler wrote: »all health here. I have my annual physical next Friday and the only numbers I'm excited for are: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and other blood levels. If the focus is health, the weight will follow suit (or so in my experience).
This is not true for me.
First of all, even when I was fat my tests (including the things you mention) were fine. So focusing on those things would not have been useful. My weight itself was the risk factor.
This is what I meant about smoking and alcoholism. Not having an actual diagnosable problem yet doesn't make the situation a healthy one.Second, I ate a pretty healthy diet (but for calories) when gaining weight, and yet I got fat, so the weight did not follow suit.
Thus, IMO, it's reasonable to be specifically concerned with weight when trying to focus on health. Not only concerned with weight, but concerned with it, yes.
I think a healthy diet also means the right calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight, not just what types of foods. The nutritional value of the food is definitely a part of having a healthy diet. I just think that maintaining a proper level of calorie intake is an inseparable part of having a healthy diet.
Yes, I agree with that. But in this conversation people seemed to be separating "nutrient-dense diet" or whatever from calorie control. I totally think that when considering whether a diet is healthful being calorie-appropriate is a key part of it. My diet was too many calories, so wasn't truly healthful even though if I'd described the foods I ate (and what I mostly did not eat) lots of people would likely think it was healthy.
That's why I don't think you can say that "weight will follow suit" or even really separate the two questions.
Weight does follow suit if you consider that the proper amount of calorie intake is a fundamental part of a healthy diet.
That's my point. It's not separate. It's every bit as important as what you eat.
Yes, agreed, but pretty sure that's not what The Rambler was saying in the post to which I responded. He was (I think) making the oh so common point on MFP that if you just focus on eating clean or nutrient dense or some such that you won't be fat/will lose. That does not always follow, and focusing on calories/weight loss is not choosing being thin over being healthy, but is an important part of it.
(I think you and I are in agreement here, no?)2 -
"Skinny" doesn't make me think healthy...when I hear the term skinny, I generally think underweight...which isn't healthy. Skinny also isn't fit.
Generally, when you're doing things to improve your health like eating well and getting in regular exercise, you're going to be both healthy and also look the part. I'm by no means super lean, but I'm healthy and I look like I workout and I look fit.1 -
Unless I win the lottery, I can't do anything about my body image, so I guess I have to go with (physical) health. Although that doesn't matter much either since I got talked to by my doctor for being fat even though my health was "normal" in testing.
I'm assuming mental health isn't part of the health answer. If it is, I stand solidly with it.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »heiliskrimsli wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »TheRambler wrote: »all health here. I have my annual physical next Friday and the only numbers I'm excited for are: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and other blood levels. If the focus is health, the weight will follow suit (or so in my experience).
This is not true for me.
First of all, even when I was fat my tests (including the things you mention) were fine. So focusing on those things would not have been useful. My weight itself was the risk factor.
This is what I meant about smoking and alcoholism. Not having an actual diagnosable problem yet doesn't make the situation a healthy one.Second, I ate a pretty healthy diet (but for calories) when gaining weight, and yet I got fat, so the weight did not follow suit.
Thus, IMO, it's reasonable to be specifically concerned with weight when trying to focus on health. Not only concerned with weight, but concerned with it, yes.
I think a healthy diet also means the right calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight, not just what types of foods. The nutritional value of the food is definitely a part of having a healthy diet. I just think that maintaining a proper level of calorie intake is an inseparable part of having a healthy diet.
Yes, I agree with that. But in this conversation people seemed to be separating "nutrient-dense diet" or whatever from calorie control. I totally think that when considering whether a diet is healthful being calorie-appropriate is a key part of it. My diet was too many calories, so wasn't truly healthful even though if I'd described the foods I ate (and what I mostly did not eat) lots of people would likely think it was healthy.
That's why I don't think you can say that "weight will follow suit" or even really separate the two questions.
Weight does follow suit if you consider that the proper amount of calorie intake is a fundamental part of a healthy diet.
That's my point. It's not separate. It's every bit as important as what you eat.
Yes, agreed, but pretty sure that's not what The Rambler was saying in the post to which I responded. He was (I think) making the oh so common point on MFP that if you just focus on eating clean or nutrient dense or some such that you won't be fat/will lose. That does not always follow, and focusing on calories/weight loss is not choosing being thin over being healthy, but is an important part of it.
(I think you and I are in agreement here, no?)
Yeah. He's missing half of the factors in the equation, therefore the results will not be as expected.0 -
I don't see how you can separate the two as these are linked. People can over obsess over body image to the point where this becomes unhealthy.
It's a matter of mitigating risk factors. Obesity increases risk as does eating too much of any specific food. Certain elements carry more risk than others.
Aristotle put it best with the Golden Mean, but there are several variations on this theme.
Personally I focus on performance and this drives body image and creates a positive feedback loop.0 -
You know what? I'm going to be completely honest here. I am 100% doing this for looks at this point in time. I have other reasons, but my driving force every day is feeling sick when I look in the mirror.3
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Health. And it's more than just eating. I also pay attention to my exercise, sleep, stress, risk behavior (around smoking for example), environment, sun exposure, and overall happiness.
Being fit and in shape is a by product of the exercise and eating right.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I lost weight for a holiday so it was body image but after the holiday I kept at it
So to me they are both important
P.s not all skinny people are fit0 -
Unless I win the lottery, I can't do anything about my body image, so I guess I have to go with (physical) health. Although that doesn't matter much either since I got talked to by my doctor for being fat even though my health was "normal" in testing.
I'm assuming mental health isn't part of the health answer. If it is, I stand solidly with it.
You probably got "the talk" because although you may have good test results NOW, your weight may put you at risk for FUTURE health problems that are best avoided. And things can go downhill before you know it.
I agree with you that mental health is a vital part of one's overall health.
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Health, because I've never had problems with body image, even as a morbidly obese person. I mean I knew I was fat, I knew I did not look "typical", I wasn't delusional, but it didn't bother me one bit. I don't look typical now and it still doesn't bother me. Health, on the other hand, that bothers me. The thought of having a bad quality of life later on scares me. Being fat increases the risk for some major diseases. No rose colored glasses would change that. We've all heard about that person who "smoked and lived to see 90", but it does not change the fact that smoking increases the risk for a whole host of diseases, and obesity is no different. While being a normal weight does not guarantee health and being obese does not guarantee sickness, anyone who says the risk for disease is statistically similar in both is delusional.
With that being said, if I had a guarantee that my weight would not affect my health I would be much looser with what weight range I'm willing to settle for.3 -
I thought Bob was a vegetarian. InterestingTraveler120 wrote: »Being fat is unhealthy. Being anorexic thin is unhealthy. But you can aso be normal weight and be unhealthy.
Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper has one of the fittest bodies anywhere and yet he got a heart attack in February and had to quit eating his paleo diet which caused his high cholesterol. He said he's switched to a Mediterranean diet which is lower in red meat and saturated fats.
So, diet is crucial in determining your health as verified by blood tests. But there's nothing good about being fat, even if your labs are good. Personally, it's not a question of either/or. I choose to have a great body that's in great health.
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heiliskrimsli wrote: »STLBADGIRL wrote: »From my observation, people tend to think if you are slim or a healthy physical size than you are healthy inside and if you are obese the assumption is that you are unhealthy.
Normal weight doesn't necessarily mean healthy.
Overweight or obese does mean unhealthy.
Actually, with overweight, it depends. Overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes, but it also seems to extend life expectancy in older adults.0 -
HazyEyes93 wrote: »You know what? I'm going to be completely honest here. I am 100% doing this for looks at this point in time. I have other reasons, but my driving force every day is feeling sick when I look in the mirror.
I can relate to this.
Wish I could say I wanted to lose weight for health reasons (it sounds so much better!), but I dreamt of having a better looking body and I wanted to be physically fit.
I was tired of having my inner thighs rub together when I wore dresses. I was tired of seeing back fat through my shirt. I was tired of getting winded after walking up a flight of stairs. I was tired of the limited clothing options I had shopping at the plus-sized stores.
When I was 80+ pounds heavier aside of having elevated bp and heart rate, my blood work etc. were pretty good and I didn't have any pain. However, I didn't have energy, didn't feel good, plus I knew I was getting older and needed to do something about my weight.
With hard work and time I made my dreams come true. But yes, body image definitely motivated me.
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For me it's happiness, which in turn means health in this context.
Even at my heaviest my stock answer when friends asked "How are you?" was "Fat, full and happy". I was comfortable with my body image.
Then a shockingly high BP reading and subsequent revelation of marginally high glucose levels took my happy.
Now my health markers are under control. I'm well on my way to a set goal weight and a plan is in motion to achieve a better than average fitness level.
I got my happy back and sometime in the not too distant future my stock answer will be "Lean, fit and happy".
Get healthy be happy.
ENJOY1 -
Unless I win the lottery, I can't do anything about my body image, so I guess I have to go with (physical) health. Although that doesn't matter much either since I got talked to by my doctor for being fat even though my health was "normal" in testing.
I'm assuming mental health isn't part of the health answer. If it is, I stand solidly with it.
You probably got "the talk" because although you may have good test results NOW, your weight may put you at risk for FUTURE health problems that are best avoided. And things can go downhill before you know it.
I agree with you that mental health is a vital part of one's overall health.
I'm still waiting for my health to "decline" because of 30 years of fat. My doctor was so concerned about my fatness, he did absolutely nothing to help me except believe "lose weight" will magically melt the fat off. The only reason I have HBP is because the AMA lowered the range for hypertension. Doctors will always find something to nag about.0 -
Unless I win the lottery, I can't do anything about my body image, so I guess I have to go with (physical) health. Although that doesn't matter much either since I got talked to by my doctor for being fat even though my health was "normal" in testing.
I'm assuming mental health isn't part of the health answer. If it is, I stand solidly with it.
You probably got "the talk" because although you may have good test results NOW, your weight may put you at risk for FUTURE health problems that are best avoided. And things can go downhill before you know it.
I agree with you that mental health is a vital part of one's overall health.
I'm still waiting for my health to "decline" because of 30 years of fat. My doctor was so concerned about my fatness, he did absolutely nothing to help me except believe "lose weight" will magically melt the fat off. The only reason I have HBP is because the AMA lowered the range for hypertension. Doctors will always find something to nag about.
I don't think the AMA would lower the desired blood pressure ranges or any other measures of health, just for kicks and giggles.
So if you have high blood pressure now, then yes, your health has declined. Clinging onto standards from 30 yrs ago in order to convince yourself that all is well, is just odd.6 -
bathsheba_c wrote: »heiliskrimsli wrote: »STLBADGIRL wrote: »From my observation, people tend to think if you are slim or a healthy physical size than you are healthy inside and if you are obese the assumption is that you are unhealthy.
Normal weight doesn't necessarily mean healthy.
Overweight or obese does mean unhealthy.
Actually, with overweight, it depends. Overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes, but it also seems to extend life expectancy in older adults.
According to a single very narrowly focused meta-analysis that it's really irresponsible to apply to individuals as a justification for being overweight.
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heiliskrimsli wrote: »STLBADGIRL wrote: »From my observation, people tend to think if you are slim or a healthy physical size than you are healthy inside and if you are obese the assumption is that you are unhealthy.
Normal weight doesn't necessarily mean healthy.
Overweight or obese does mean unhealthy.
Technically untrue.
Overweight means "at risk of becoming statistically at risk for disease and injury due to unhealthy body fat levels".
Obesity is even split into 3 levels.
Class 1 obesity: statistically at risk for disease, injury or disability due to unhealthy body fat levels.
Class 2 obesity: statistically at significant risk for disease, injury, or disability due to high unhealthy body fat levels. The impacts of these are, on average, significantly greater than for individuals with Class 1 obesity. Premature death is likely.
Class 3 obesity: statistically at high risk for disease, injury, or disability due to very high unhealthy body fat levels. These risks are profound both in impact and rate. Premature death is almost certain.
Which of course gets turned into "fat people are unhealthy. Even being 1 lb overweight is unhealthy" in reductionist thinking.
WHO: Obesity1 -
I'm a 38yr old female 5'5 currently stuck at 150lbs with 130 as my goal. To be honest, I wanna look good! Yes, I want to be healthy and avoid heart disease and t2 diabetes that runs in my family but moreso I want to look good to myself. Smile at myself in the mirror every morning!3
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