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Body Image or Health? what is the more important for you?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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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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  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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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 fit
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    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. :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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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.
  • Enjcg5
    Enjcg5 Posts: 389 Member
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    Traveler120 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.
    I thought Bob was a vegetarian. Interesting
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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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.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    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.
  • U2R2
    U2R2 Posts: 260 Member
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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.
    ENJOY
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    jenilla1 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    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.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
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    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.


  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    edited April 2017
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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: Obesity
  • Enjcg5
    Enjcg5 Posts: 389 Member
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    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!

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