as a physician and expert in fitness and nutrition i’m all about optimizing health and well-being. this issue of size tugs at my doctor’s protective instincts (e. g. preventing disease and disability) while as a woman i feel deeply for any woman who has ever sobbed while staring at her closet trying to find something decent to wear. this issue of what constitutes a healthy size and weight is a hot topic of debate among scientists and experts in the field. dr. steven blair has championed the notion that it’s all about fitness not size while others argue the smaller the better to ensure optimal health and longevity. since no one has a solution let me boldly go forward with a few suggestions: 1. your size issue must involve health and wellness. looking at physical appearance alone without considering overall health and fitness is leaving off half of your best body equation. if you’re really interested in living life to the fullest that requires you do the work to stay fit and nourish yourself healthfully. you want to clothe a healthy happy woman – not just a size. 2. know thyself. just like you know your size you need to know your other body numbers. take a tape measure to your waist. if it’s greater than 35? you’re packing on inner abdominal pounds placing you at higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. if your body fat is greater than 35% you’re at higher risk for breast cancer and potentially ovarian cancer. too much weight can also have an accumulative effect on your weight bearing joints eventually leading to arthritis and disability. many of my patients are very fit a size 10-14 normal waist size and a good body fat percentage. keep in mind the goal is not to be skinny. it’s to be healthy physically independent and out of the red zone for disease and disability. 3. all women need to pay attention to their self-care. to stay out of the red zone you’ve got to take care of yourself. your mind and body benefit from daily physical activity (ideally accruing about 400 cals throughout the day and injecting intervals of intensity) as well as healthy nutrition (high quality whole foods being mindful of portions and total calories consumed and eating a balanced meal/snack every 3-4 hour through dinner). science backs me up on this recommendation which is true for men and women alike. 4. women need attractive enjoyable clothing options to live and exercise in. when a woman is beginning her journey toward improving her lifestyle habits she wants to feel good about herself. better larger size (16 and over) clothing options help her accomplish that goal. many of my patients often call these clothes “transitional. ” as a woman gets more active and pares away more excess body fat she’ll transition to other clothing which may end up being size 12-14. 5. remember that the goal is optimal health and fitness. there are plenty of skinnies out there that are woefully unfit and unhealthy. this is not about weight. it’s about the quality of your body as well as your mind. is your body fit enough to allow you to do the things you love in life? are you in pain due to a sedentary lifestyle? get real and be honest. if you’re walking around carrying 200 pounds or more you know that the excess weight will eventually cause problems. take a moment and examine your lifestyle. pinpoint easy things you can begin to do today to make it healthier. health not skinny is the goal. from what i've been told by my doctor time and time again is that no more than 2lbs a week should be lost to have a healthy weight loss. in fact i was just speaking about that with him today because my husband and i are trying to build our own health and exercise regime that will be healthy for us and not affect our kids negatively. i hope you got your answer <positive_smiley>
how do you decide what is a healthy size and weight?