Thin=Unhealthy?

[Lenusik]

Ladies, why can't you admit that everybody wants to looks good? Thinner women (I don't mean skeletons) do look better. And I agree that not all of them are healthy. But I know quite a few. I am 5'6, 114 pounds, wear size 0-2. I ride my bike fast, play tennis (hard) 2-3 times a week, eat healthy and I am very strong. Still I want to look better and I will strive for it. Genetics are only a small portion of your development. You physical and mind efforts make you a better athlete and a healthier person. No, it is not better to be fat and healthy - there is no such thing as fat and healthy. VERY thin is not healthy eaither. But being normally thin and healthy is in anybody's power. Just put some effort in it.

[Brandi]

Interesting subject! My mom is 5'8 and when I was 13 years old at 114 5'3 my mom weighed 103 pounds. And then got a breast job. She went from my size breast to a larger size. My Dad used to call me lard butt and they really regulated what I ate.
So I was always hungry and thought I was fat! So when I was 14 I started taking diet pills. I never slept (the caffein was high in those pills) and then started having siezures. I stopped taking the pills after going through a lot of test ten admitted I was taking those pills. The Dr turned to my parents and told them to lay off me!
I have some scaring mentally from growing up with such a thin mom. But I realize now that I am older she was struggling too. Don't get me wrong I had a terrible up bringing! But I am a bit more comfortable in my own skin (even as it ages). I now weigh about 140 but I am athletic. When i tell people how much I weigh they don't believe it. My mom now wieghs 135 but when Itell her how much I weigh she always goes " oh Brandi that is not good". I then say " Oh mom 2 packs of cigg's a day ids going to kill you". We don't get along to great.
Besides my usband says i look better without clothes on! He he

[Lenusik]

The same thing with my mom. She smoked all her life, never excersied and ate fried stuff all the time. But the only good thing that she did for me is made me play sports. I always ate well and healthy because I grew up in Eastern Europe where fruit and vegetable is natural without any chemicals. But my mom ended up with cancer, fat and unhealthy. As I said earlier, just do what's right for you and put an effort into yourself. When you love yourself and treat you right, then others will love you too.

[lnewv5]

Ladies, why can't you admit that everybody wants to looks good? Thinner women (I don't mean skeletons) do look better. And I agree that not all of them are healthy. But I know quite a few. I am 5'6, 114 pounds, wear size 0-2. I ride my bike fast, play tennis (hard) 2-3 times a week, eat healthy and I am very strong. Still I want to look better and I will strive for it. Genetics are only a small portion of your development. You physical and mind efforts make you a better athlete and a healthier person. No, it is not better to be fat and healthy - there is no such thing as fat and healthy. VERY thin is not healthy eaither. But being normally thin and healthy is in anybody's power. Just put some effort in it.

I might have to disagree with a few of these points. First of all, genetics do play a part. If you were to take a group of women who had the exact same fitness schedule, same lifestyle, and same eating habits, I promise you that they all wouldn't have the same body type. Everyone has a different metabolism and a different makeup. I understand your point that there is no such thing as fat and healthy, but you have to consider an overweight person who is exercising 5 days a week versus a 100 pound woman who is inactive, and eats horribly. I consider the overweight person to be healthier than the skinny person.

Personally, I commend you for your great body stats and exercise regime because you obviously work very hard to stay in shape and look good. But to tell everyone else that they too can have the same weight if they just work a little harder is just foolish. People can only do the best they can, and they shouldn't have to be a size 2 to feel good about themselves.

The most important thing ladies is how you feel. I'm 5'7 and about 130. There have been points in my life where I weighed a lot less, but I was not active. I'm in better shape than I've ever been in my entire life. I don't associate that with a number on a scale, rather my energy, endurance, and muscle tone.

[mtkitchn]

Ladies, why can't you admit that everybody wants to looks good? Thinner women (I don't mean skeletons) do look better. And I agree that not all of them are healthy. But I know quite a few. I am 5'6, 114 pounds, wear size 0-2. I ride my bike fast, play tennis (hard) 2-3 times a week, eat healthy and I am very strong. Still I want to look better and I will strive for it. Genetics are only a small portion of your development. You physical and mind efforts make you a better athlete and a healthier person. No, it is not better to be fat and healthy - there is no such thing as fat and healthy. VERY thin is not healthy eaither. But being normally thin and healthy is in anybody's power. Just put some effort in it.

I've seen voluptuous (sp?) women who look AWESOME. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and thin is not better looking to everyone. Obese and healthy may not be possible, but I think there is a wide margin between thin healthy and voluptuous healthy and it's all good.
I think as long as you are pretty happy with yourself and you exercise and eat right, you're okay. The stress of worrying about how people perceive your body probably does more harm to your health than ten extra pounds.

[Lenusik]

I've seen voluptuous (sp?) women who look AWESOME. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and thin is not better looking to everyone. Obese and healthy may not be possible, but I think there is a wide margin between thin healthy and voluptuous healthy and it's all good.
I think as long as you are pretty happy with yourself and you exercise and eat right, you're okay. The stress of worrying about how people perceive your body probably does more harm to your health than ten extra pounds.

I guess, you are not exactly getting my point. As I said, everybody wants to look better and feel better. Certainly, it is true that only you can define what's better. Therefore, everybody is entitled to an opinion. It does not matter whether an overweight or a thin person eats unhealthy, it is still unhealthy. Genes do play role in how tall or short you are or the color of your skin and hair. Certainly not everybody would have the same shape. But those who are active and eat right, and put effort into taking care fo themselves will always look better and feel better. Effort! That's all it takes. I am not afraid of gaining more weight because I know that I have ability to lose it. And I really do not do this because I am concerned of what other people think. I do this only for myself and my family. As I said before, only if you love yourself others will love you too. And that does not apply to a thin or an overweight person. This is a universal statement.

[mtkitchn]

I guess, you are not exactly getting my point. As I said, everybody wants to look better and feel better....Ladies, why can't you admit that everybody wants to looks good? Thinner women (I don't mean skeletons) do look better

Perhaps I'm not getting your point. Personally, I don't work out because I want to look thinner, but because I want to be healthy. Your post sounded to me at first read like a blanket statement that thin women look better and all women want to be thinner, so I'm sorry if I misunderstood. I think all women who are making an effort to be healthy are beautiful. As you said, we all have our own opinions, and that's what makes the world go 'round!
Peace out.

[Crankin]

I readily admit that I exercise to look good, but of course also to be healthy! I started exercising to look good (i.e lose weight) I gained when I graduated college and got my first teaching job. It worked, but the "endorphin" effect kicked in and 30 years later I am still exercising. It's a lifestyle that you have to make a commitment to. So many people are not willing to make that commitment. I don't think it's vain to want to look good. This is for ME, not anyone else. I've never done well doing things because others expected them and exercising is not one. I understand the terrible messages that young girls and women get regarding weight and body image. I'm a middle school teacher and I see the results daily. Maybe if we switched the message a little and emphasized exercsing instead of focusing on eating, it would work better for everyone.

[Lenusik]

It's a lifestyle that you have to make a commitment to. So many people are not willing to make that commitment. I don't think it's vain to want to look good. This is for ME, not anyone else. I've never done well doing things because others expected them and exercising is not one.

This is exactly the point. Of course there are cercumstances and medical conditions. And it would be fulish to generalize. But I still believe that our mindset and effort are stronger that genes. I could be politically correct if needed, but why. Adopting exercise and healthy habits for a lifestyle has not killed anybody yet. Eating a lot of bad food and no exercise have.

[CR400]

Thin doesn't equal unhealthy unless the person lives an unhealthy lifestyle, like smoking, drugs, eating disorders, lack of meaningful exercise, or a number of other things we might think of. Also I have to keep reminding myself that going to extremes to get thin could make me unhealthy even if I do weigh what the tables say I should.

Right now I am back up to a weight that for my height 5'5 says I'm obese 182lbs. Yes I am still fat with room to improve but I can do something at this weight that I couldn't do at the 173 I was at. I was angery that I had gained almost 10lbs back over the past two months, it was really depressing. Until I went to the gym a few nights ago and easily put up 410lbs on the leg press and could have done more. Apparently that 7lbs of other based on body fat was muscle. I had stopped lifting in February and could only do 290. So on some occasions heavier can mean healthier. Oh I never thought I'd say it but after all that I may actually love hills. Until I run into that 105lbs person. I think to make races even we all should trap on those weighted vests and try to climb with the weight of the biggest person in the race. Watch tiny not even be able to turn the cranks over. Amazing how hard it is to produce 400+ watts to climb a hill.

On a side note I don't think I ever want to be that thin it is unsafe. For the most part even psycho men won't mess with a woman who looks big enough to put up a fight. However even women will take on the real little ones. Why, for the average woman greater weight means greater strength. Even in the world of power lifting the heavy weight women way out lift the feather weights.

[fixedgeargirl]

But being normally thin and healthy is in anybody's power. Just put some effort in it.

What about women with PCOS, or other endocrine or thyroid disorders?

There are several women on this board who could ride circles around my size 2 butt all day (and night!), yet weigh half again my body weight and have spoken openly on this board about struggling with weight and body image . There are other mitigating factors in many, many people's lives that stymie their best efforts to be "thin" or "healthy". Some of them are medical, some are genetic, some are unfortunate circumstances imposed on women by other people. As a stranger, and sometimes even as a friend, you just don't know the whole story.

[Brina]

What about women with PCOS, or other endocrine or thyroid disorders?

Sorry, but PCOS is an excuse. I have it - have had it for years. I could use it as an excuse - in fact I have used it as an excuse in the past - and sit around wearing a size 20, or even bigger. Instead, last year i decided that this was within my control. I started working out. I stopped eating so much junk food and starting eating a diet of mainly protein, vegtables and fruit and whole grains. I still allow myself treats, but I limit them. In that time, I am down 20 lbs, improved my body fat ratio and gotten much stronger and fitter. I look better and I feel better. I am still not skinny - I will probably never be skinny - but I am no longer considered obese.

[roughingit]

I'm not sure why I keep reading this thread...I've always been within the range of average and y'all are making me feel fat. Okay, so at 5'5" and 150 I certainly would like to lose some weight...like 20 pounds of it, although my SO says I look just fine.

In American culture, thin is better. I'm pretty sure if you took a random poll of high schoolers for example, and gave them the choice of being a not healthy size 2 or being a healthy size 14, almost all of them would take the two.

Personally, I think anyone that wears a size under 6 is actually delusional about their size and really still in the children'd department. I'm sick of having to find my size 10-12's in the large section! I'm a medium dangnabit! Size 6 is small. No wonder women are made to feel like cows, they can't decide on what size is what, why can we just buy by the inches like guys?!

[caligurl]

Personally, I think anyone that wears a size under 6 is actually delusional about their size and really still in the children'd department. I'm sick of having to find my size 10-12's in the large section! I'm a medium dangnabit! Size 6 is small. No wonder women are made to feel like cows, they can't decide on what size is what, why can we just buy by the inches like guys?!

you can't make a blanket statement like that.... cuz there are a LOT of other factors.... i do wear under a size 6.... and i'm still carrying a few extra pounds for me... i'm not fat... but i do need to clean up the eating and get rid of the excess baggage.... but i'm small all over.... so ya... i wear size small jerseys (usually... sometimes i have to get a medium cuz i have broad shoulders.. partly from working out).... and it's actually quite irritating to me when i do have to practically shop the children's/teens department to get clothes that fit! even with my excess baggage... i still can wear a size 0 in several brands of jeans.... at the most a 2 and when that excess baggage is gone.. those same 0's hang on me... but that's all thanx to vanity sizing.... i should really be wearing.... probably a 4... if you check sizing from the "olden" days..... if the stupid manufacturers didn't keep making smaller sizes bigger to appease the majority of the lazy public.. that love to sit around on the couch and eat fast food all week! but still want to go to the store and buy they same size clothes they used to... well guess what! they aren't... cuz the manufacturers are just making them bigger... still calling them the same size.. but making them bigger! and as for shopping in the ladies (not teens) department at mervyns or kohl's.. forget it.. they only go down to a 4.. and even in my "fat phase") they hang on me... there's just something WRONG with that! so not only does tv... and movies... and magazines add to the "thin is in"... but so do the clothing manufacturers.... vanity sizing SUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but anyways.. to tell me i'm dellusional about my size cuz i wear a 0 or 2 is just as bad as all the other blanket statements.... i'm NOT dellusional... i DO have excess weight... and i eat... sure i eat healthy all week... but on weekends i totally blow it... and i blow up!

there are WAY too many considerations to make blanket statements!

[Lenusik]

although my SO says I look just fine. It is not for anyone to say how you look. it is your decision.
I'm pretty sure if you took a random poll of high schoolers for example, and gave them the choice of being a not healthy size 2 or being a healthy size 14, almost all of them would take the two. - What kind of choice is that. May I suggest that thin and healthy is better.

Personally, I think anyone that wears a size under 6 is actually delusional about their size and really still in the children'd department.

- Actually, I wear size 2 and pretty sure that this is my size. I do not shop in children's department - I am 31 and have curves to my body. It does not mean that women who wear size 6-8 are not attractive or unhealthy. it all depends on how you feel about it. But if a person is much heavier than a normal weight, no matter how good this person feels about herself, it is not healthy, especially in the long run. I've learned it looking at my mother and a few other women.
Why looking for excuses.