How Much Can You Tell About A Woman’s Health Based On Her Weight?

Let’s stop pretending that you can tell anything about a woman’s health just by looking at her.

Let’s stop pretending that weight loss is some sort of inherent shoo-in to health. In fact, many women pursue weight loss DESPITE their health.

Let’s also stop pretending that “health” isn’t some sort of social construct. That it is some hard and fast rule. Health is relative. It’s dependent on cultural, socioeconomic status, resources, and on and on and on.

What comprises MY HEALTH may not be the thing that comprises YOUR HEALTH.

The scale goes down and their clothes fit looser and everyone claps as if they’ve crossed the finish line of life’s greatest and most important race.

Your body can be a variety of different sizes and still be healthy. But we come up with a size and shape and just decided that THIS EXACT WEIGHT and THIS EXACT SIZE is the ONLY PLACE THAT I CAN BE HEALTHY- and it’s just not true.

You can be in a larger body and still be healthy. You can be in a smaller body and still be healthy. And you can be smack dab in the middle and still be healthy.

Until you know the ins and outs of a woman’s ENTIRE FUCKING EXISTENCE, you will never have any leg to stand on to make assumptions about her health or her habits or her lifestyle.

The larger woman in the grocery store? She could be working with a coach several times a week and is overcoming every demon in her closet.

The thin woman at the gym? She could be there because the thought of not burning 600 calories in an hour will eat her alive until she cries herself to sleep.

The woman losing weight at work that you’re so jealous about? Her husband could have left her and she’s been so stressed she can’t bring herself to eat.

The woman gaining weight? She’s finally decided to overcome an eating disorder and gaining weight is the most courageous fucking thing she can do right now.

So remind me – where do your assumptions, judgements, and criticisms have any room or merit?

Remind me – what does the size and shape of our body have anything to do with it?

Never let anyone tell you otherwise.