Social media is an interesting platform. I use it because I think it’s a great way to interact with my family, friends, clients, and the people and/or businesses I like to follow. In general, it’s a great way to connect with people.
However, wherever there are people, toxic behavior can pop up. I personally believe that there is more good than bad on Social Media but unfortunately there are some real trolls that hide behind their computers.
I recently saw an example of this when I stumbled upon a video regarding health and weight that made my blood boil. Total disclaimer, I have no idea if this nasty and judgmental person is a fitness professional or simply a shallow minded fitness nut operating on outdated information. I didn’t watch the entire video because I could only stomach watching the first few minutes before I had to shut it off. Yes, it was that awful.
Normally, I do my best to ignore nasty people and move on. This time I couldn’t. This human being was stepping on my turf and based on what I did hear, this person is NO expert. I have spent years coaching people, taking classes, and studying fitness and health in order to help people stay fit for life. I felt morally obligated to address what I believe to be a completely misguided point of view.
Basically, this person was claiming that size is always related to your health and if you have some extra padding in certain places you are unhealthy and at risk of heart disease. This individual had no problem hurling all kinds of other ridiculous insults that in his mind he thinks should help and motivate people. Really??
This type of thinking and flat out assumption is one of the main reasons I take issue with the marketing and theories that a portion of the fitness industry is promoting. Usually, the desire to be thin has very little to do with health. The intellectually honest side of my industry knows this, and we are preaching a totally different message these days.
Over the years I’ve trained people of all sizes and I’ve learned that it is never a good idea to judge someone’s health by their size. I’ve had the opportunity to perform numerous health assessments and review enough doctor’s reports to learn that there are larger people in great health. I personally know curvy women that run marathons and look amazing in skin tight clothing. I also work with men who are fit and strong with larger builds. Sure, there are people that need to lose weight for health reasons (some of it serious) and I help coach them throughout their weight loss journey with compassion and common sense.
However, I’ve also seen a lot of damage done to people’s bodies due to yo-yo dieting and overtraining in their attempt to achieve a certain size. Eating disorders are very real and they are usually camouflaged under the guise of “eating healthy.”
Not everyone was designed to be thin, or tall, or look super ripped. Healthy bodies really do come in all shapes and sizes. We have a choice and it’s pretty simple. We can focus on taking care of ourselves and enjoying our life, or we can allow a very powerful industry and some incredibly judgmental people to bully us into trying to force our bodies to become something they are not.
Years ago, I was at a very low weight that was not healthy for me so I decided I was going to stop focusing on being thin and focus on self care instead. I weigh more now and I’m way healthier. However, during the time I was underweight, some people would observe my body size and assume I was healthy based on my looks. My own personal experience is a perfect example that there is so much more to being healthy than a height and weight chart.
I recommend that you focus on self care and then put on your blinders. Turn off the diet messages that are tempting you to restrict yourself just to fit into society’s narrow view of what a healthy body should look like.
Sometimes the best way to avoid the shallow people in this world is to turn off the chatter and ignore them altogether.
Make it your best week yet!
Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford
