We think we know slim is good, fat is bad. Slim people get hired more for jobs, while fat people face judgement and even abuse for their weight. Now, of course, we have to watch our weight, obesity makes us a lot more vulnerable to disease, but our bodies are all different.

How much does size matter? Let’s bust some fit frauds

  • Skinny means healthy

You know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover so why would you judge a person by their clothes size? Yet this is exactly what we do and it’s wrong. It’s not your total weight but the characteristics of that weight—how much is fat and where it’s deposited—that matter most. Even a ‘normal’ BMI doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthy. It can mask signs of heart disease and leave you vulnerable to a sudden shock.

A recent Mayo Clinic study found that more than half of those with normal weights actually had “high body-fat percentages as well as heart and metabolic disturbances.” In other words, they had the same risks of coronary disease, diabetes, and other chronic illness as people who weighed much more.

  • Overweight means unhealthy

Just like elite athletes can have an appearance ranging from tiny Olympic gymnasts to massive Sumo wrestlers, neither can the rest of us be judged solely by our size. Weight loss clinics, gyms and fitness centres, liposuction, and gastric bypass surgeries all were
based at least partly on the presumption that being overweight equalled being at risk for heart disease and diabetes. But it’s more than that. Family history and lifestyle, like smoking and stress, are much more deadly than thunder thighs! The big-bottomed line is that what we look like really isn’t important.

  • Exercise is the best way to lose weight

This is probably bad for my business as I’m a dance fitness instructor but the most visible results are best achieved with a diet plan. I’m not a fan of diet plans because they tend to be unsustainable and boring. Good luck living the rest of your life eating lettuce leaves. I prefer to balance exercise with healthier eating and then some cheating because for me the odd cupcakes or cocktail is essential to cope with life. Looking good is important in an increasingly Instagram world. The packaging may be 70-90% but appearances can be deceiving and really we should not think of fitness solely in terms of looking better rather than FEELING better because there’s no point slaying in a coffin.

This week’s move is the hip bridge. It’s an easy exercise to tone hips and firm gluten but it also strengthens the core and spine, improving the posture and overall fitness.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s go!