A fine line between Body Positivity and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

We are all about body positivity that encourages people to love their bodies regardless of their size, shape, or other flaws. Self-self and self-acceptance are important when it comes to embracing who we are and all of our flaws. One needs to appreciate the body that they came in and stop chasing after unrealistic goals of perfection. Because my friend! No one in this world is perfect.

The body positivity movement started due to body shaming solely because of one’s body weight. However, there is a fine line between body positivity and maintaining a healthy weight. In this article, we will be talking about how it is important to keep a balance between body positivity and maintaining a healthy weight. 

Why is it important to maintain a healthy weight?

It is essential for everyone to maintain a healthy weight to live an active and healthy life. You might look yourself in the mirror and may ask ‘Do I weigh too much? Do I weigh too little? Does this dress look good on my body? You might get trapped in the monologue of negative thoughts and the unrealistic expectations of society. Self-love and body positivity is important to make yourself feel good about yourself and your body irrespective of society’s definition of beautiful. 

However, there is a need to balance self-acceptance or body positivity with maintaining a healthy weight or positive health. Let’s think of it this way, if you are overweight or underweight and you feel that you are perfect just the way you are regardless of your weight, then you might be putting your health at risk. At the same time, if you are focusing too much on gaining or losing weight and not accepting who you are, then again you will be harming your self-esteem and self-confidence. It is such a dilemma, and that is why balance is the key to achieving a fulfilling life. 

Problems associated with being overweight or underweight 

It is not a surprise anymore, how people are influenced by social media and have this idea of ideal body size and type. Many women and even men compare themselves with models, celebrities, or even their role models on social media platforms. This comparison leads to poor body image, eating disorders, obesity, and other such problems.

This is where body positivity comes into place, where people tend to accept who they are both inside and out. However, many confuse an unhealthy lifestyle with body positivity. There are so many health problems with being overweight or underweight. We as a community need to raise awareness about balancing body positivity while maintaining a healthy weight. Take a look at some of the health problems which are a result of being extremely overweight or underweight. 

Underweight

Here are the problems associated with being underweight.

• Low immunity, which increases the risk of catching diseases or viruses fast. 
• Malnutrition – Lack of essential nutrients in the body, which further leads to multiple problems like irregular periods, fatigue, hair thinning, etc. 
• Vitamin deficiency      
• Fertility issues in women
• Decreases bone health
• Improper body growth and development issues in children and teenagers. 

Overweight

Here are the problems associated with being overweight. 

• Fatty liver diseases.
• Cancer
• Gallbladder diseases
• High blood pressure.
• High blood glucose levels.
• Brain strokes
• Pregnancy problem in women
• Kidney diseases.
• Heart diseases and heart attacks.
• Sleep disorders. 
• Obesity may even lead to health problems like depression and anxiety.

So, these are some of the many problems that you might encounter if you are not maintaining a healthy weight. On one hand, it is important that women and even men have self-acceptance and self-love. But, on the other hand, it is important for women and men to take the right actions to maintain a healthy weight to protect their long-term wellbeing. 

What is a healthy weight?

A healthy weight means that your weight is within the weight range after calculating the body mass index.

With the help of a body mass index calculator, you can calculate the healthy weight for your body according to your height, age, gender, and current weight. However, BMI is a screening method and it must not replace the professional guidance of a doctor. Therefore, you can calculate your body mass index by using any of the BMI calculators available on the web. 

Healthy practices to involve in your daily routine 

It is important to focus on self-acceptance and at the same time focus on improving your health. Because it is also important to realize that self-acceptance should not transition into a lack of self-care. There are always health risks associated if you are overweight or underweight. That is why we are listing some healthy practices that you can add to your daily routine. 

1. Exercise Daily: Exercising your body not only helps you stay fit, but it can also help you maintain the right body weight as per your BMI. 
2. Eat Nutritious Food: Put a stop to your unhealthy eating habits and start eating nutritious food. Involve protein and nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, cheese, chicken, vegetables, seeds, nuts, multigrain bread, and other nutrients rich food. 
3. Drink a lot of water as it helps to keep the body hydrated and keeps your skin healthy and glowing. 
4. Do yoga as it has so many benefits for overall health. Moreover, doing specific yoga can help in gaining or losing weight, and thereby maintaining a healthy weight for your body. 
5. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
6. Count Your Calories: If you want to maintain a healthy weight, then ask your doctor for your daily calorie limit.
7. Eat Lots of Fruits: Fruits are a rich source of vitamins and nutrients, eating different fruits daily can help you lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
8. Get 8 Hours of Sleep: Lack of sleep or oversleep can affect your health so much than you can imagine. Therefore, it is essential to have at least 6-8 hours of sleep.

Managing your diet with light exercise daily can help you in maintaining a healthy weight. Moreover, the debate is not about losing or gaining weight, but to achieve a bodyweight that can reduce the number of health risks in the long term. 

Conclusion

‘Everyone should be comfortable in their skin’ is the quote to live by. You should appreciate your body because self-love and self-acceptance teach you that no one can love you as much as you can love yourself. You can be happy about your body, but at the same time take the best possible care of that body. Body positivity is all about loving yourself and loving yourself means taking care of your overall health to prevent the risk of health problems. Therefore, we say that there is a fine line between body positivity and maintaining a healthy weight.