Despite popular belief, there are many people out there who do not look slim and are enjoying good health and a happy life!
We live in a society which worships slim. We focus on the externals, most likely because that is all we can see of one another. There are many slim people out there who are unhealthy, some because they have too little weight. With the weight-shaming going on around the world, it is awfully hard to distinguish between the truth and the societal paranoia about fatness and obesity. Don’t get me wrong, there is a point where our weight does have a negative impact on our health. Fat cells do cause inflammation and inflammation is at the root of many diseases.
There needs to be a balance between personal happiness and slimness. Most of us who suffer from a weight problem are unhappy because of the untruths we have been fed about it, rather than our weight. Health is more than your body. It includes your mind and feelings. How we think about ourselves affects our feelings which in turn can cause stress and influence our cortisol levels. Our mindset is vital to a healthy life.
My concern is that we place greater importance on our appearance than our health. To my mind quality of life is more important than the quantity of our years. We have become so focused on how we look that we have forgotten what makes us happy on the inside. Media and advertising have much to answer for.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am glad I have lost over 100kg, but I have not sacrificed my happiness for weight loss. Instead, I have lost weight to be the healthiest I can, given my genetics. In the process I have sought to understand the feelings behind my eating habits and the reason why I got there in the first place.
Improving my mental health is more important to me than the weight I have lost. Again, I have not lost weight to make me feel better about myself, rather I have lost weight because I do feel better about myself.
In love, Jenny
