Duxford Girl

For once, a Fox News reporter didn't offend me. Check out this video and see how uncomfortable the nutritionists gets when the reporter points out that she's too thin.



In all fairness to the nutritionist, she's not being totally crazy with her advice. She's pointing out that losing 10 to 20 pounds is a reasonable step to being healthy. I don't disagree, I struggle to keep my weight down and can certainly see a difference in my performance in various activities that I take part in when my weight is higher than I would like it to be.

However, the notion that young girls will see successful women like Adele and Kelly Clarkson and stop caring about their health is ridiculous. In fact, when women of all ages are exposed to photos of women that are a variety of shapes and sizes, they are more likely to take care of themselves and not get into dangerous diet habits. What's even more irritating, is that I don't see the media doing stories on how young boys may not be concerned about their appearance because of actors such as Seth Rogen.

The nutritionist points out that we don't have a crystal ball and can't see what health issues are in the future for these young women. I don't have a crystal ball but since I'm rapidly approaching 40, I can say that, in spite of my BMI-defined-obesity, I'm probably healthier than I've ever been in my life. I exercise regularly, I keep track of what I eat and make most of my meals and (perhaps, most importantly) I like the person I see in the mirror every day.

The vast generalizations that exist about people who don't fit into the very narrow definitions of BMI are fast becoming outdated. The media clings to them because the advertisers that support them depend on these generalizations to sell their latest products. The truth of the matter is, unless you look at a person's entire life, you can't possibly say whether they are healthy or not. We are biological beings and our variations are endless. The more we celebrate these variations, the more young people, especially young women, will focus on what is important in their lives rather then what is superficial.