My Health: The Right Weight for Me

| Sunday October 25, 2009

After Mark Fast’s near disaster at London Fashion Week, you may be giving yourself another look in the mirror. The Canadian designer’s decision to feature models in his runway show sized 12-14, lead to controversy in the fashion world including one of Fast’s stylists quitting as his team scrambled to finish his design.

The three models, Hayley Morley, Laura Catterall, and Gwyneth Harrison, who fiercely took to that runway are considered “plus sized models” by the industry leaving me to wonder, if these curvier bodies on the runway are actually improving our perception of ‘a healthy body weight’. Karl Lagerfeld's eyebrow raising comments on the "average woman" shortly afterward only added fuel to the fire.

Clients come to me with mental images of skinny actresses and models and the impression that the thinner they can be the better. They are surprised when I tell them their striving for skinny days is over. Health is in, and this means finding the body weight that is just right-- for you.

Research tells us that body mass index (BMI) remains one of our best ways for determining our healthy body range. A BMI between 18.5-24.9 represents the weight range for your height at which you have the lowest risk for developing health problems (see this chart to calculate your BMI).

So does this mean that you are healthy if your weight is within this range? Absolutely not! Health is defined by so much more than numbers on a scale. The way we eat, the exercise we do, how we feel about our bodies and our stress levels all impact our health. Along with our weight these factors also affect energy levels and performance at work, the gym and even *ahem* in the bedroom.

If you find yourself outside of the healthy range for BMI, targeting a healthier weight may be one of your goals. But more importantly, be the fashionista that you are, focus on improving health not on thinness, and like Mark Fast’s models, own that runway.

by Kate Comeau

ATP Nutrition

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8 Comments

	on January 15, 2012 bodybuilding supplements said: I agree, Meredith! In the end, the most important thing is to be healthy in body and mind, even if you don't fit the technical specifications :)
	on November 02, 2009 Ali de Bold STAFF said: I agree with Meredith that your bmi is just one part of the equation. There are many factors that contribute to overall health.
	on November 01, 2009 mamaluv STAFF said: I agree, Meredith! In the end, the most important thing is to be healthy in body and mind, even if you don't fit the technical specifications :)
	on November 01, 2009 meredithk115 4,186 said: in addition to my previous comment, I think its also important to focus on being healthy...and not just on numbers. Weight isn't as important as the amount of bodyfat vs. lean muscle mass on a person. In today's society and especially with women, it is VERY important to focus on a healthy body and positive self image....
	on November 01, 2009 meredithk115 4,186 said: Oh.... I would just like to point out that if an individual is athletic ....higher lean muscle mass, that this chart is 'inappropriate' ....BMI isn't necessarily the best way to determine healthy weight, because it does not distinguish between body fat and lean muscle mass. Thankfully the author does elude to other ways to determine a healthy weight but the 'BMI remains one of the best ways to determine a healthy weight' part I have to disagree with....
	on October 27, 2009 MizzRobin 13,788 said: According to this I am slightly underweight as well and I actually thought I was overweight...ah well.
	on October 27, 2009 Ali de Bold STAFF said: Yay, Mark Fast! This is hilarious. Until I saw this article I didn't realize that this is THE Mark Fast from my high school in Winnipeg. His brother, Andrew was in my class. It's so great to see someone you know succeed and to take a bold stance on something unpopular. That's fantastic! Thanks Kate for this helpful and encouraging piece. I would love to see more studies on the effects of stress on our bodies vs. weight or bmi. That's the #1 cause of most illnesses and I think it would be great if we could focus more on reducing that.
	on October 26, 2009 Shopper-221 608 said: According to this, I'm just slighthly underweight. But I have to disagree. I'm just young, active, and I have good metabolism.