Watching the Braxton’s a few weeks ago, I felt such sadness for Traci Braxton as her sister Toni told her that she needed to lose twenty to forty pounds. Though she’s not a size 6, Traci is so beautiful. Is she really fat or are her sisters over reacting?
America’s view of ‘fat’ is rather distorted. Our magazines display size 0 models and men with no body fat at all. Often times anything that is outside of this image is considered fat. A couple of pounds of extra body fat does not qualify someone as necessarily being overweight. In fact, having some fat is especially needed for lactating moms, childbearing moms and small children.
Being overweight is determined by the amount of body fat one’s body has not by the amount of visual fat. Body fat percentage is determined by a measuring of one’s BMI (Body Mass Index). BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered normal weight. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight. Obesity is considered a BMI of 30 or more. (WebMD)
Being a small size does not mean that you are healthy and neither does being a larger size mean that you are unhealthy. According to Pamela Peeke, WebMD expert blogger, the average American woman is 5’4″, has a waist size of 34-35 inches and weighs between 140-150 lbs, with a dress size of 12-14.
What I am not setting out to do is to cause anyone to become complacent in the fight against unhealthy lifestyles. Our bodies are so precious and life is too short for us to continue in bad habits. Alternatively, I am hoping to change the way we think about what it means to be fat.
The images that we see on TV and in magazines is not a depiction of real life. These people get paid to look a certain way, and often times, whether or not they get jobs is based on how they look. Additionally, they can afford the best chefs, fitness trainers, and sometimes plastic surgeons to stay looking slim and trim.
Our goal should not be to look like them. It should be to look and feel our best. Be our best selves. Having wash board abs is cool but a man should not feel insecure or indifferent if he doesn’t look like Idris Elba when he takes his shirt off. In the same lane, a woman shouldn’t think any less of her arms if they don’t look like Angela Bassett’s.
What is your BMI? What is your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels? These are the numbers that matter, not necessarily the number in your jeans or even the number on the scale. Most of us have a little body fat. Some more than others, but a healthy report from the doctor is what’s most important.
Sources:
Wilbert, C. (2009). As BMI Rises, So Does Risk of Death From Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, and Many Other Conditions. http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090319/being-overweight-shortens-life-span
Peeke, P. (2010). Just What Is an Average Woman’s Size Anymore? http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/01/just-what-is-an-average-womans-size-anymore.html
I really enjoyed reading this article! Thanks to societies depiction of the male and female body and the individuals suffering from low self esteem, not realizing and recognizing their own self worth and the beauty that they possess, the modern day madness continues. Thanks for pointing out what really matters. Excellent job!
The many dangers that high body fat and obesity present are enough to make me cautious about your title (but I dig that it’s provocative!).
That said, what “fat” means is highly subjective. The woman in the picture at the top of the article looks to be morbidly obese. I know that term is highly charged, and is often conflated with “ugly”, so let me be clear: while there are connections between obesity and attraction, many of them are governed by cultural standards. I’m not judging the woman’s beauty, inner or outer. I’m using the definition at this link (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Morbidly+obese), and my expertise (B.S. in biology and former certified personal trainer), and making a statement about her apparent level of body fat.
I also believe that we also have to avoid essentializing fitness as either being obese or looking like Angela Bassett or Idris Elba. For Black women in particular, who are constantly victimized by unattainable beauty standards held by our racist and misogynist society, this is even more important. At the same time, when I was a personal trainer, I regularly had conversations with women who were morbidly obese who told me that they didn’t want to look like “one of those female bodybuilders with all of those muscles”. I was polite but very firm in telling them that the strict diet discipline, 2-a-day excruciating daily workouts, and testosterone those women were injecting into themselves were all light-years ahead of my attempts to help them save their own lives by having them start just by avoiding meals from places with drive-thrus and coming to the gym at least three times per week consistently for their first month. There are an infinite amount of body types and levels of health between the woman in your picture and Angela Bassett. Tracy Braxton’s body would actually be an excellent goal with which she could begin.
Thanks for your article and for your attention to this very important subject.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging
on websites I stumbleupon every day. It’s always helpful to read content from other writers and practice something from other websites.