What Does Healthy Actually Mean?

It's the cool thing to do these days.  Cut out dairy, gluten, sugar and processed foods.  The wellness rhetoric goes something like this....eliminate x, y, z and follow me to the promised land of health.  

Years ago—back when I was constantly preoccupied with my weight—I used to justify changing my diet because I told myself, “I’m doing this to be healthy.” 

Back then, I thought that losing—or carefully maintaining—a certain weight meant I’d be “healthier.”  It meant that eliminating certain foods or whole food groups was also done in the name of "health."

When I ran a yoga and Pilates studio, many clients told me the same thing. 

“I want to lose fifteen pounds so I can be healthier,” they’d tell me. 

“It’s not really about vanity,” women would assure me. “It’s not about my appearance. I’m doing this for my health.”

Millions of people believe that bringing your body down to a lower weight means you’ll be healthier. But do we have scientific proof that this is true? Does your weight determine your health and longevity?

The answer is…

Not really.

Research shows that health actually has very little to do with how much you weigh. There are many other factors—including how much sleep you get, the amount of autonomy you have at work, stress levels, genetics, your environment, your sense of connection and your activity levels—that impact your health far more than your weight.

Surprised by this? I was too, back when I first learned the truth. Let’s unpack this a bit more, starting with a big question: 

“What does the word ‘health’ even mean?”

What is health?

The World Health Organization defines health as: a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease.

Sadly, our society today is very often focused on the physical aspect of our health and no merit is given to our mental or social well-being.  

To expand upon the WHO definition of health, I would add—health is a state where you feel confident and comfortable in your skin regardless of your size. You have basic self-care and hygiene habits in place that you do consistently. You treat your body with respect, appreciation, or at the very least, acceptance. You’re not engaged in risky, life-threatening activities. 

With this said, nobody can predict or control the future. Despite your efforts at health which often look more like control than acceptance for any dieter, you may not live as long as you'd like. And it's important to remember that health is not a moral obligation so if you choose not to participate in whatever way you define "healthy" behaviors, that's ok, too.  

So what are the factors that contribute to health?

Research shows that these factors have a big influence on your health:

1. Exercise. Physical activity that averages 12 times per month. 
2. More than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 
3. No more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.  
4. No smoking.
5. Adequate sleep. Six to eight hours per night.
6. Stress levels. You lead a life with low to moderate stress levels. When stressful events arise, you have tools (breathing, meditation, yoga, etc.) to settle your nervous system and bring your stress levels back down.
7. The amount of autonomy you have at your job. The higher up you are in your job, the better your health outcomes.  
8. The social connections you have with others.  
9. Genetics. 
10. Environmental factors like pollution. 

I want to repeat that “weight” is not on that list. 

When it comes to being healthy, for 90% of people, your weight doesn’t matter that much. Meaning, a difference of five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or even thirty pounds is not going to make you significantly healthier or extend your lifespan. If you really want to be healthier, focus on the factors listed above, not your weight. Studies also show that those who weight cycle repeatedly actually end up with higher weights and worth health outcomes compared to if they would have maintained their initial higher weigh to begin with.  

So, your weight doesn’t matter at all? 

There’s one exception. If your weight falls into the “extremely low” or “extremely high” category, then yes, your weight does impact your health. 

For instance, if you are extremely underweight (starving to death) or in the final 4% of the weight bell curve, then your weight is seen as a health concern. 

However, if you aren't on the extreme ends of the weight bell curve (90% of people), then your weight doesn’t impact your health much at all. 

Health At Every Size

One of the most pivotal moments in my life was discovering Health At Every Size (HAES). HAES is an organization that educates people about the factors that actually influence your health—and the factors that don’t. 

If you have a friend or family member who insists that they want to lose weight “to get healthier,” gently encourage them to check out the HAES website: https://haescommunity.com/

Tell them, “It’s great that you want to be healthier. I love you and I want you to have a long, happy life! But if you’re serious about getting healthier, you might want to focus on things like sleep, exercise, and cutting back on alcohol, much more than you focus on weight. Because those factors actually make way more of a difference than your weight does and it's virtually impossible to maintain intended weight loss longer than a couple of years.”

Don’t succumb to changing your body to fit into oppressive beauty standards. Instead, work on changing the way you view your own health and body. Challenge your own fat-phobic thoughts and your judgement about other people of various sizes, both thin and fat.

One conversation at a time, we can re-educate people about what “health” actually means. Because it really has almost nothing to do with the number on the scale. If we're so distracted dieting, hating our bodies and worrying about things we think will make us healthier, we lose our ability to focus on the things that actually do matter for ourselves and for the world.