The Other "F" Word
Recently, I visited a museum of art. It was no ordinary museum; it was the Louvre in Paris, France. This museum is extraordinary. Large pieces of art, sculptures, with figurines as far as the eye can see. Millions of people visit this historic place each year. It truly is incredible! What was striking is that the women in each piece of art were.....well, voluptuous! Actually, they were what we would consider today as fat! Yet, in the eyes of these artists, they were beautiful! I began to wonder why that might be? What has changed in the way we view ourselves, especially as women? How did we get so obsessed with thinness?
It seems in the 1840s it was proposed that women, in particular, abstain from abundant eating for optimal health. First by suggesting spices in foods and heavy on bread. Then came the suggestion decades later to consume more meats; thus the diet revolution began. Fullness, that was once considered beauty, then became disgust and non-fashionable. Women used to have clothing custom made by a seamstress and no sizes to compare. Then the department stores come into play where dresses were sold in sizes S, M, L, or 8, 10, 12. That’s when woman began to compare themselves to one another.
Today, there is so much emphasis on being thin. Thin is in, or is it? People come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tall others are short and there is a huge range in between. Not everyone is designed to be skinny, just like not everyone is designed to be tall. There is cellular makeup that gives us a pre-disposition. That being said, I'm not advocating obesity. Body build and muscular make-up should be considered, however, being larger than you should is not healthy. What I am saying is not every woman should weigh 120 pounds. Accepting ourselves for who we are is important in a multitude of ways. First acknowledging one's self-worth, loving ourselves for who we are and where we are in life. Small changes add up to larger changes and so on. Health and wellness is about creating a balance, not just what our pant size is. A size of a person does not necessarily determine a healthy person. There are many thin people who are sick.
As people, we are too obsessed with weight. The better scale of measurement is to ask yourself some questions:
How do I feel?
How do I sleep?
Am I where I want to be in life?
Can I do the activities I want to do?
How are my relationships?
We look at ourselves with a distorted view. Others see us differently than we see ourselves, but we continue to hang on to the negative thoughts, and they become our truth. Our brain automatically goes to the negative. An infestation of ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) is destructive to the mind and body. Anytime you realize you have ANTs in your brain, get rid of them…immediately! Over time, you can change your brain creating better place to live in your own body. Enjoy your life....there is freedom!
Health Bite: Health is not necessarily weighed by scales.
