Do you have the perfect body? Yes.

This was a very interesting article that I found on the tyrashow website, which was essentially about embracing our body and loving ourselves now. research has shown that the health risks of being overweight are not as severe as we make them out to be, it is either extreme that is bad and shortens our life. regardless of the science behind it because i'm not here to dispute that...there were some interesting quotes that i pulled...maybe we should change our frames of mind and adopt a more positive outlook. well, here they are...

1. So who gets to decide what is your perfect body? You do. It is empowering, if you are open to it. Your opinion is your reality - - you get to decide if you're beautiful. Stop trying to fit your body to your beliefs. Change your mind to fit your body.
2. The report from the CDC actually showed that overweight people live longer than normal weight people. Even for obesity, the risk lies in the more extreme range, which is not the classification of the majority of obese Americans. A comprehensive review of 26 studies concluded this important fact: being overweight or obese is not the killer it is made out to be.
3. The focus on your body is serving you. It is allowing you to distract yourself from your real issues. 
4. You are more than your body. You must determine your true identity - - it is made up of interests, family, career, etc.
5. Stop trying to make your body fit your clothes--buy clothes that are comfortable and flatter your unique body. Move back in and connect with your body through yoga, meditation and any other enjoyable activity. Be very aware of your self talk--slap your inner voice the way you would anyone else who said something unacceptable.
6. Your body is precious because you are the one in it. It may never change...can you really live your whole life hating yourself? Accepting your weight means accepting who you are

I hope this was inspiring and uplifting to at least one person. the point is that we are our own worst critic and the search for perfection steers us farther away from the things that are important in our lives and really need addressing. we see controlling our weight as a mechanism to achieve some greater sense of happiness and it's not true. we CAN BE HAPPY NOW!! i'm not saying that this is the case for everyone, but for many of us it is. we should love our bodies and through self love adopt the habits that will get us to our own ideal, not the one imposed by society. anyway, i wish you all the best of luck and urge you to try to change the way you see yourself and your body. love the you that you are right now first, and the changes will come. http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/2009/06/you_ha ve_the_perfect_body.php

ugh. just reminds me how **** in the head I am about body issues.

I think my body is pretty spiffy-my arms are strong enough to carry a sleepy kid up to bed, but gentle enough to give hugs that make everything better. My legs can skip and ride bikes, and when I sit they make the 'bestest lap for snuggles'(says my six year old). My lips can kiss away booboos, and my voice is tough enough to scare away the boogey man.

Yep, I have a great body.

Yes!  More people should take this to heart.  Instead of spending so much sweat and tears chasing a body that probably belongs to either someone else or a much younger you, decide you'd rather be happy and healthy than "perfect".

I agree that one needs to have a good self image and raise our own self esteem based on other things other than body.  I am not arguing about that all.

But I look at the comments that weight is not the life danger that we have thought it was and I cringe.  Is this just "permission" to be overweight?  Is this article trying to justify our bad habits as "not so bad" and therefore acceptable?  

There is a lot of evidence that being overweight is a danger to our health.  There is a lot of science already in place that shows that those who are over weight suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases at a much greater rate than a thinner comparison population.  The idea that the overweight do not die any younger than a thinner population is patently a red herring.  What life do you want to live?  One where you can tie your own shoes and go for a bike ride?  Or one where you get to live a year or two longer not being able to do those things?

Of course we need to embrace the positives about ourselves. As human beings we are much more than the sum of our fat stores.  But lets not get carried away and forget that the quality of our lives is greatly affected by all of our choices . 

 

 

 

Original Post by madamq:

I agree that one needs to have a good self image and raise our own self esteem based on other things other than body.  I am not arguing about that all.

But I look at the comments that weight is not the life danger that we have thought it was and I cringe.  Is this just "permission" to be overweight?  Is this article trying to justify our bad habits as "not so bad" and therefore acceptable?  

There is a lot of evidence that being overweight is a danger to our health.  There is a lot of science already in place that shows that those who are over weight suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases at a much greater rate than a thinner comparison population.  The idea that the overweight do not die any younger than a thinner population is patently a red herring.  What life do you want to live?  One where you can tie your own shoes and go for a bike ride?  Or one where you get to live a year or two longer not being able to do those things?

Of course we need to embrace the positives about ourselves. As human beings we are much more than the sum of our fat stores.  But lets not get carried away and forget that the quality of our lives is greatly affected by all of our choices . 

 

 

 

if you can't tie your own shoes you're probably in the morbidly obese category which they concede are at risk of health problems, they are speaking about people who are simple "overweight" based on our current definitions. i'm not disputing this or any other scientific finding but i don't think they were giving us permission to be unhealthy by any means, just to reconsider our definitions of health maybe. i think the message is that we don't have to be a size 2 to be considered healthy, and it's only the extremes that are risky  not being critical just stating what i took out of it.

Original Post by madamq:

I agree that one needs to have a good self image and raise our own self esteem based on other things other than body.  I am not arguing about that all.

But I look at the comments that weight is not the life danger that we have thought it was and I cringe.  Is this just "permission" to be overweight?  Is this article trying to justify our bad habits as "not so bad" and therefore acceptable?  

There is a lot of evidence that being overweight is a danger to our health.  There is a lot of science already in place that shows that those who are over weight suffer from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases at a much greater rate than a thinner comparison population.  The idea that the overweight do not die any younger than a thinner population is patently a red herring.  What life do you want to live?  One where you can tie your own shoes and go for a bike ride?  Or one where you get to live a year or two longer not being able to do those things?

Of course we need to embrace the positives about ourselves. As human beings we are much more than the sum of our fat stores.  But lets not get carried away and forget that the quality of our lives is greatly affected by all of our choices . 

 

 

 

if you can't tie your own shoes you're probably in the morbidly obese category which they concede are at risk of health problems, they are speaking about people who are simple "overweight" based on our current definitions. i'm not disputing this or any other scientific finding but i don't think they were giving us permission to be unhealthy by any means, just to reconsider our definitions of health maybe. i think the message is that we don't have to be a size 2 to be considered healthy, and it's only the extremes that are risky  not being critical just stating what i took out of it.

Original Post by chocorific:

I think my body is pretty spiffy-my arms are strong enough to carry a sleepy kid up to bed, but gentle enough to give hugs that make everything better. My legs can skip and ride bikes, and when I sit they make the 'bestest lap for snuggles'(says my six year old). My lips can kiss away booboos, and my voice is tough enough to scare away the boogey man.

Yep, I have a great body.

Choco that is one of the most beautiful, nicest things I have read in a while!!!

While it is a good idea to love yourself, deluding yourself into thinking you are not at risk when you are is not loving yourself, it is suicide.  I don't know where this person gets her scientific information, because it contradicts just about everything I have seen.  Sure 10 or 20 pounds over your perfect weight may not be a big deal, but most overweight Americans are well beyond that and, yes, they are likely die sooner and have far more health problems as a result.

Other (more medically oriented) sites:

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/o besity-health-risks

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/art icleView.asp?MessageID=1236

Actually, that last study found being overwieght was a greater risk factor for chronic disease than smoking. 

You don't have to be fashion model thin, but if your BMI is in the overweight catagory or beyond, you are putting your health at risk.

I think most people are overwight because of their unhealthy lifestyle. I got to a BMI of just above 25 by eating junk and not exercising, and I am pretty sure that's how most people get there.

But I think if you are slightly overwight but eat heathily, exercise regularly and generally have a healthy lifestyle than it would not be *that* dangerous and life threatening. That person might actually be healthier than someone who starves themselves and leads an unhealthy lifestyle to have a BMI of 19.

I just think the statement about the overweight people outliving the "healthy" weight ones is a bit unbelivable.

But I do like the rest of the post about accepting who we are and realising our bodies are beautiful .

Being overweight or obese is life threatening. You should always feel good about yourself though. Tyra is a moron in my opinion so I wouldn't take her show too seriously.

why is everyone so NEGATIVE!! sheesh, she only said those who are overweight, not obese....you can be "overweight" and be fit and healthy. she isn't condoning unhealthy behaviors or neglecting one's body, but merely focusing on something other than society's definition of health. she didn't say that being 50 pounds overweight is going to extend your life, she said that "overweight indviduals" often outlive individuals who are at a "healthy" weight, which is arbitrary considering the BMI charts were based on the weights of dead people, if you read the entire article. regardless of that it seems that people just want to be negative on these forums. don't come to the motivation forum if you just want to throw in your negative 2 sense.

i want to encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyle choices that will lead to self acceptance and self love, even if it means you are at a "healthy" weight. use cholesterol levels, physical functioning, blood pressure, etc. to measure your health, not the scale because honestly i know from experience that some of the THINNEST people have the most unhealthy lifestyles and their body is no indication of their health. 

As one obese person who actually loves her self, her body and see's herself as more than just a number, I appreciate this post.  I really wish the posters could see the positive side of this post.  I did not read it as stay overweight, stay obese, stay anorexic or stay bulimic.  I read it as "When you do love yourself it will make you weight loss goals more attainable and less stressful."  So far this journey has been wonderful for me and I believe it has a lot to do with how I viewed myself before I started.  I approached weight loss with self love as opposed to self hate.

I guess I am the only one who doesn't have something up ma bum .  Well I am sure there are others who agree with me.

And I might get flamed for seeing rainbows and bunnies...

Original Post by puh8suwrux:

Yes!  More people should take this to heart.  Instead of spending so much sweat and tears chasing a body that probably belongs to either someone else or a much younger you, decide you'd rather be happy and healthy than "perfect".

 +1!

This post made me think of my younger self.  I'm 26 now, but in my teens and early twenties, before I packed on quite a few pounds, I was at a healthy weight (albeit on the higher side of my healthy range, but still not overweight!), I had decent cardiovascular health, could easily run a mile in 7 minutes and I didn't have the wit to appreciate ANY of it, because I was too busy b*tching about how I wasn't a size 00 like all the other girls in ballet class.   

It took gaining 80 lbs and fitting into the severly overweight BMI category to realize a) what I had thrown away, and b) that there is more to health than thinness.  As I continue on my weight loss journey, I strive to keep this in mind so that I can treat my body well and appreciate what it can do, rather than punish it for not looking "perfect."

Thank you, brtaylor!  I'm definitely not condoning an unhealthy lifestyle, but it disturbs me how many posts I see where people have a goal of looking like X, whether it is a dress size or a "perfect" weight or skinny hips or flat-as-a-board abdomens.  "How do I reduce Y?"  ARGGHH  Guess what?  WE have very little control over how we look - the best we can do is decide that we want to be HEALTHY, and love THAT body!   And you know what - healthy looks GOOD on ANYONE!

"overweight people live longer than normal weight people"... really? use your head... if you're a healthy weight you're going to be at risk for less health problems.  

 I think striving to be overweight because you'll live longer is silly.  If you're striving to become healthy (including being a healthy weight, not overweight) you are doing something good for yourself, and that is great.  This includes things like eating well and excercising.  I have tonnes of respect for anyone who is willing to work at being healthy, it is a difficult thing to do in our society, and takes a lot of time, energy and focus.  However, if you think that the quote above is true, you might want to read more research for yourself.  

I'm not saying that motivational stories and quotes are bad, I'm just saying that you need to be able to think about what your reading and decide for yourself if you think it's valid. 

 

Original Post by bettyduck:

"overweight people live longer than normal weight people"... really? use your head... if you're a healthy weight you're going to be at risk for less health problems.  

 I think striving to be overweight because you'll live longer is silly.  If you're striving to become healthy (including being a healthy weight, not overweight) you are doing something good for yourself, and that is great.  

 

completely missed the points, no one is condoning or encouraging "healthy people" to become overweight. that would be really dumb and unrealistic. this post is not even relevant in my opinion.

if you don't want to MOTIVATE dont post in the MOTIVATION forum. this is getting so old. people are so negative and combative for no reason. please people try to use common sense and think about the intent of a post not necessarily what it says at surface level.

There really should be a "Let's nitpick the **** out of each other forum." Too many people on this site seem to be here to argue instead of to encourage/support.

Back to the article itself: I do love myself more now (at 200lb) than I did 3 years ago (at 150lb). It has more to do with my mindset. This time I'm not losing the weight expecting to become a supermodel; I'm not turning weightloss into an obsession. This time I'm focusing on my health. Being strong. Playing with my daughter. Working in my garden. I'm even running now. Of course my body size is reflecting these changes, but instead of focusing on the numbers, I'm focusing on my body and how I feel - which is freaking great! I'm finally being nice to me.

Original Post by sadinplaid:

There really should be a "Let's nitpick the **** out of each other forum." Too many people on this site seem to be here to argue instead of to encourage/support.

Back to the article itself: I do love myself more now (at 200lb) than I did 3 years ago (at 150lb). It has more to do with my mindset. This time I'm not losing the weight expecting to become a supermodel; I'm not turning weightloss into an obsession. This time I'm focusing on my health. Being strong. Playing with my daughter. Working in my garden. I'm even running now. Of course my body size is reflecting these changes, but instead of focusing on the numbers, I'm focusing on my body and how I feel - which is freaking great! I'm finally being nice to me.

that's so great!! congrats on your positivity and health. it sounds like you're trying to do what your body needs and will thank you for later :) these are the kinds of posts that should be posted in the motivation forum. no one is encouraging you to stay at 200 pounds, but instead to do what you're doing now, loving yourself and taking the steps to get "HEALTHY" not "thin" or to reach society's ideal. this is the mindset that we should all adopt. our happiness shouldn't be contingent on what the scale tells us, but instead on how we feel inside independent of the superficial markers of success.

Original Post by sadinplaid:

There really should be a "Let's nitpick the **** out of each other forum." Too many people on this site seem to be here to argue instead of to encourage/support.

So true!!!

Anyway, the CDC study showing a lower morbidity for overweight subjects had some methodological flaws and its findings are dubious, but there is nevertheless still room to question whether obesity itself is a direct cause of morbidity independent of the effects of diet and exercise.  That, though, is an ongoing question for researchers, not internet forums.

No matter what your body looks like, though, loving it should never be controversial.  The suggestion that overweight people should have to be ashamed of their bodies in order to effect positive changes in their lives is hopefully one that our society will gradually abandon.  That seems to be the point being made by the dietician Tyra brought on the show: she looks to be suggesting that a more positive self image will be more conducive to working out the issues that led people to become overweight in the first place than the self-loathing that too often accompanies 'diet and exercise' regimes.

Personally, the less I hate my body the more motivated I am to treat it right.

wow, nice debate going on here. and dont say it isnt cos it is. thing is, im agreeing more on the nitpicking negative side this time. yes, the article does not actually promote itself as an excuse to stay overweight, but many people will still take it that way. probably not the people here in CC, since the fact that they're in CC means they are/want to know more about health issues, but there will still will be people who'll take that excuse and run with it. i mean, you can probably imagine at least one of your friends doing that.

i think loving your body and yourself is more of an issue of how secure you are with whole self, not a straight-up physical health issue. the real proper way to see things is like what one of the people here who replied said: the more i love myself, the more i'll want to treat myself well (paraphrased but you get the idea). that's perfect, and the article says that as well. thing is, the fact that the article tries to prove its point by showing scientific evidence about overweight people being living longer and stuff like that does makes it sound as if being overweight is ideal and steers away from the real message of loving oneself and using that as an starting point to improve oneself. which is why people are being negative about the article. if you look atmost of the "negative" people posting here, they're not saying anything at all about how loving your body is wrong. they're just saying that if you're overweight or unhealthy, you have to accept that you are, dont hate yourself for it, but still, improve on it. it's just another form of support, the people here just dont want others to get the wrong idea which they really can possibly get from this article. the article couldve stayed on the psychological level about insecurities and such but trying to actually use scientific studies to show benefits of being overweight really should ring alarms in people who know the least about health.

and anyway, sorry for the lowblow, but damn, it's tyra's show. she either talks about herself or panders to what women want to hear. that's why guys hate that show. i mean, almost every time there's someone emotionally distraught on her show, shell say something like "i know how you feel, this one time i blah blah me me." Believe me, just notice it once and you'll see it every episode. haha sorry i just hate that show.

anyway, so yeah, just love yourselves, who you are, how you look. but since you do love yourself you should make yourself be at your peak physical condition (well maybe that's too much) or at least be truly healthy. i think that's what loving yourself and how you are means, and just not the physical level.