Health not determined by a scale

Part of the goal of writing this blog to explain why being "healthy" doesn't mean thin/skinny/BMI 19-25/vegan, etc.  Through the dedicated work of professionals like Linda Bacon and the Association for Size Diversity and Health I, as a reformed, free-thinking dietitian, am beginning to see the light (pun intended): FAT DOES NOT KILL!
Bullocks, you might shout!  Revoke her license, they might say.  But if you honestly spend a little bit of time reviewing the data you'd understand.
This review paper explains it all.  Just because a health condition (diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, etc.) is associated with being overweight doesn't mean the weight caused the disease.  This is so important to keep in mind: association is not as powerful as causation.  Since the 1950s atmospheric carbon dioxide and obesity have increased.  Does this mean carbon dioxide caused obesity?  Of course not; but more cars on the road meant less people walking or biking and more car emissions.
In an effort to stop wasting a substantial amount of our lives trying to fight our internal war against the weight and passing judgement onto strangers, let's focus our time and resources on embodying healthy behaviors.  Some people lose weight as they improve the quality of the foods they eat and become inspired to move their bodies but this is clearly not the primary goal.
So where does that leave us?
Basic Principles of Health At Every Size^®
1. Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes.

2. Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include
    physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects.

3. Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes.

4. Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger,
    satiety, appetite, and pleasure.

5. Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather
    than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss.


Join me on this side of the fence.  It's so much nicer and friendlier!  

 As a teenager I wanted to be skinny and felt so self-conscious in my dance costumes.  Looking back at myself all these years later I can't help but smile because I looked GREAT!  (And again, with age comes wisdom in the personal care department: roots like those are but a distant memory.)