Cracking the Definition of Healthy

There are many misconceptions about the definition of health and what that entails; a good percentage of these misconceptions are about plus women. Many people believe that all, if not most, plus women are unhealthy because of their size. However, this is not always true. In fact, the opposite can be true in some cases. Many plus women do maintain a very healthy and active lifestyle. If this is the case, then what is a good indicator of health?

            According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height.” This number is then used as a tool to identify any possible weight problems in adults. BMI measurements are generally a reliable tool for most people as an indicator of health. However, this reading does not measure body fat directly and does not account for muscle mass. This practice of using BMI readings is used by physicians all over the country to help patients get a better understanding of their health and alert them of any possible risks.

            Many women, including plus models, live very active lifestyles and eat well. However, they are classified as “overweight” according to their BMI. These readings can help or hinder a person’s self-confidence if they focus on that calculated number more than how their body feels. This isn’t to say that one should ignore any medical advice given; only that there are other factors that go into health. Nancy Crown is a family nurse practitioner and has worked at SUNY Buffalo State’s Weigel Health Center for 15 years. She cites a person’s “genetic makeup” and “family history” as factors that may contribute to a high BMI.

 “I think the whole thing with weight and people’s body image is, first of all, how you feel,” she says, “I often tell students to use their clothing as an indicator as to maybe what their weight is doing because we can gain and lose weight every day and very quickly.”

            BMI readings aside, no matter what a person’s size or weight is, everyone should strive for a healthy lifestyle. There are risks and benefits to maintaining good health. Crown elaborated on the risks of not maintaining a good lifestyle and having a BMI in the higher end of the spectrum. These risks include, but are not limited to being at risk for diabetes, having elevated or high blood pressure, and having high cholesterol. Also, when someone has more body mass, their heart has to work harder, which is harmful to that organ.

            The benefits of having a healthy and active lifestyle may vary by person and case. Catharine Liquori, a graduate of SUNY Buffalo State Class of 2014, knows very well the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has even decided to start a fitness journey of her own.

 “I used to have stomach pains and found out it was gall stones coming from my gall bladder,” she says “I had to get the stone removed out of a pathway in my chest in January 2014. I then had my gall bladder removed that same week. It was a wake-up call; it really helped jump-start my weight loss.” Liquori’s overall goal is to lose 100 pounds and also try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So far, she has lost 60 pounds.

            One thing is key in living a healthy and active lifestyle: hard work. The plus models that walk the runways and pose in magazine shoots did not get to where they are simply because they fit the size; they too have to live an active lifestyle.

 “Yes, you will have setbacks but looking at pictures of what I used to look like or looking at old gym notes, I am so much more different now, mentally and physically,” says Liquori.

 The simple things in maintaining good health can help start a pathway to healthy living; walking to school, drinking one less glass of juice a week or day and even taking the stairs can contribute to a good lifestyle. Whether someone has a high or low BMI, it is important to know what works for you and your body. Some women and men are comfortable at different weights and sizes; we are not all the same.

            Healthy does not come in one size; it varies in shape and angle. What someone looks like to another person is not important; it’s about how that person feels and if that person is treating his or her body right. As Nancy Crown says, “We’re not all stick thin, and that’s not what makes us beautiful anyway.”