Too Skinny Doesn’t Necessarily Equal Healthy (or Sexy)

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too skinnyWhat is Too Skinny?

Too skinny doesn’t necessarily equal healthy any more than fat equals unhealthy.  There isn’t always a direct cause and effect relationship.  Certainly being within a healthy body fat range is a good goal, but our current fascination with extremely thin women, the too skinny, is worrisome.

Sure some pictures get photoshopped to make the models look thinner.  But even without that I’m seeing a whole lot of skin-and-bones being passed off as healthy.  They are just too skinny.  Some of these girls look like they would break their arm if they did a push up, let alone threw a 50 lb bag of dog food over their shoulder.

Muscle mass is an important part of a healthy body.  Think about what you expect your body to do for you each day.  Besides my regular exercise, and the monthly 50 lb bag of dog food, I want to be able to pick up my son, run around the park with him, catch a football, hike in the forest, carry bags of groceries, fill out a low cut dress without silicone, try any new activity that arrives, and much, much more.

Rather than celebrating the thinness of women, critizing whenever someone gains a little weight, and expecting post-partum moms to be back in their jeans the next week, it’s time for everyone to start celebrating the best they are as people.

Why we weren’t too skinny before:

Okay, maybe I just want to bring back the Rubenesque period. Then a woman’s big body represented wealth and childbearing capabilities at a time when food was limited, child bearing was frequently a life threatening endeavor, and long cold winters put the fragile at risk.  During this time a big solid woman’s body came to represent fortitude, stamina, health and survivability, and this was considered sexy.

Yet, I live in a time when women are stronger and more powerful that any other period in documented history. And extreme thinness is still touted as “sexy”.  Too skinny is admired.  No one ever asks if she’s “healthy”, “happy”, “loved”, “in love”, “satisfied”, etc.  Why not?  Aren’t those better qualities than one’s weight?  Or size?

So, I have to ask, what does extreme thinness in women capture?  What values and qualities are we attributing to too skinny women?  Are these really your priorities?  Because it definitely isn’t healthy.

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Avatar of Kellie About Kellie

Kellie Hill received her Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University in Speech Communication and a Bachelor of Science from Kaplan University in Nutrition, Health & Wellness.  She has a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Certificate from Nutritional Therapy Association. Kellie has earned a Personal Trainer Certificate from American Sports & Fitness Association.

 

Kellie's philosophy is that there is no one-size fits all diet. Because of bio-individuality (each one of us is different), most diets will work for some people and not for others. We need to eat nutrient dense, whole foods that have been properly prepared - real food, as close to the form it was originally grown/raised in, prepared in a way that preserves or even enhances the nutritional value of the food.

 

She believes that it is important to investigate how the body is using the food as well as understanding what is happening in the bigger context of an individuals life.  She knows that we are obviously more than what we eat and that can have a very big impact on how the body deals with food. Kellie helps her clients identify and move toward their personal ultimate health goals.

 

Kellie is in private practice in Medford, Oregon. She consults with long-distance clients by phone and internet.

Comments

  1. Amy Turner says:
    March 3, 2012 at 4:56 am

    I like how you say that we should celebrate the best there are in people. No matter how they appear, skinny or obese, what is important is the inner beauty in them. Outside appearance will fade in time, but a kind and compassionate heart will always be appreciated. We can only offer suggestions to keep them in good nutrition as we want the people we love to live longer. Criticizing will never do good.
    Amy Turner recently posted..American Express Blue Sky Review: Airline Rewards with No Annual FeeMy Profile

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  2. Information on Ayurveda says:
    September 5, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    I think too skinny is would be not good for girls health. They think if being slim and trim looks more sexy then this assumption is wrong. Beauty come from your inside not from your body and looks if you have smile on your face then you looks more beautiful…

    Reply

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