Most of the time I would half ass my reply to these posts because of lack of energy or enough care to reply. But because I really care and a part of my reason for posting this is because I want to make a difference in our society regarding health, I will fully defend my argument with factual data and statistics from recent studies. I ask that all of you please bare with me and read this reply post until the end.
Let me start off saying that first I can see a slight bit of biases in you all’s replies regarding what I have said about what should be the beauty icons of some individuals. I’m not sure if some of you chose not to read the end of the post or just had closed ears. Never did I say that being an unhealthy model that has eating disorders should strut runways. Matter of a fact I said the exact opposite. So all I can ask that going on from here, please, do not misquote anything that I say, especially if you don’t read the whole post.
Let me also comment that I can see that some of you may take offense to this post because one, you may be overweight and/or obese or have different thoughts regarding the beauty because of the rising numbers of overweight and obesity. Larger sizes are accepted more in American society because of many factors including: the majority of America being overweight and/or obese, lack of education, emotional strain, and apathy. Those are just a few. But please, let me hit you guys with the facts now and why I presented this argument in the first place.
When I say someone is healthy, I don’t just mean the number on the scale. I mean total health. this includes blood tests to check an individual's glycemic levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral deficiencies or efficiencies, and etc. Most of us when we go to the doctor may think we’re healthy because generally when we go to the doctor the only thing that is checked is our blood pressure, weight, and other external measurements, however most of us don’t get blood tests to know how healthy we truly are. I advise all of you to get a blood test before claiming being “healthy” because we just might not know what’s swimming in our systems. I need to get one as well.
69% of adults over the age of 20 are overweight or obese and 35.1% are obese alone. 18.4% of children through the ages 12-19 are obese. 18% of children ages 6-11 are obese. 12.1% of children ages 2-5. (source) Causes of overweight and obesity can be genetic, however it is generally just a predisposition and not the actual cause of overweight or obesity. Generally when genetics comes into play it is a combination of nature and nurture and not nature alone. Energy imbalance and higher calorie consumption than what is burned also causes obesity (source) Other studies have shown that high calorie consumption can be healthy depending on the source of the calories. People on healthy vegan diets (that follow the diet correctly) eat on average at least 2000 calories a day with the suggestion of eating 3000 because of the healthy source of natural sugar (no credible source. I’m basing this off of vegans that have been vegan for a long time)
Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as "overweight" and "obesity," the risks for the following conditions also increases: Coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon), Hypertension (high blood pressure), Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides), Stroke, Liver and Gallbladder disease, Sleep apnea and respiratory problems, Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint), Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility) (sourcesource[/url]).
Excess body fat can contribute to insulin resistance, rising or worsening an individuals risk of getting or worsening diabetes. In fact, if you gain as little as 10 pounds over 15 years, it can double your insulin resistance and increase your risk of diabetes. Insulin resistance may also contribute to high blood pressure, increased triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and reduced levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. (source.
Regarding cancer, I understand that you might have learned that cancer is mostly caused by genetics, but recent studies have shown that diet and higher body weight/fat plays a huge role in causing/worsening cancer. (source) Most cancers thrive in a high acidic environment while it struggles in a high alkaline environment. (acidic and alkaline foods) Eating more acidic foods can contribute to or worsen an individual's chance of getting or worsening cancer. Some vegans on a high carb and low fat and sodium diet have actually beat cancer.
I feel like I dumped enough of an information load regarding higher body fat and risks of health diseases. The rest is up to you all to research on your own so, moving on.
The only damage that will be done to to women and their discomfort in their body image is a lack of information and understanding health as a whole, and lack of support. When I didn’t understand why I couldn’t lose weight and why it stayed on me for so long, I often got frustrated with myself and even disgusted. Now that I am informed about health and the causes for my weight gain, I am no longer upset and disgusted in myself. I feel very happy that I now know what I must to do achieve ultimate health.
It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, however, I do not think women of a larger stature or more or less beautiful than those that aren’t. My argument is that those with larger amounts of body fat should not be the ideal of beauty (nor should those with a lack of body fat, for those that might somehow mention that that’s what I mean) because it poses as a health risk in today's epidemic of poor health and overweight/obesity. Also, do not confuse being confident with understanding a healthier lifestyle. I am confident in my appearance and I know I can pull a guy is I wanted to, but I also know that I can live a more healthy life. So it still stands, I think every woman should be confident, but she should also understand what true health is.
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