Best selling female pop artist, Ellie Golding, has been in the media spotlight for her involvement in a “Fit not Skinny” campaign, which promotes exercise for its ability to build a fitter, healthier body, and not a means to become as thin as possible. Fact is, super fit individuals have huge followings on social media right now and if Instagram is any indication, strength - not skinny - is sexy.

However, Cosmopolitan UK recently placed women of various sizes on their cover with the headline, “This is healthy!” The result? They were accused of promoting obesity. In all fairness, we’ve all been told for generations that fat is unhealthy and that being thin is healthy, even by doctors. So what’s the deal? Can you be “fat” and fit?

The short answer is yes! A growing number of health care professionals now agree that you can live in a larger body and still be fit and healthy. That doesn’t mean that weight plays a zero role in the story of some health conditions. Obesity is linked to diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, but body weight is not an accurate indication of your body’s health.

It’s a common misconception that small or thin bodies are an indicator of good health. “Skinny fat” is a term that refers to having a relatively high percentage of body fat and a low amount of muscle mass despite having a “normal” BMI. So, you might look great in a bikini but if you don’t have enough muscles underneath doctors may find high levels of body fat and inflammation. Did you know that 1 in 4 skinny people have pre-diabetes and are metabolically obese?

We are constantly pressured to diet ourselves slim (especially when our BMI index classes us as overweight) and unfortunately, weight loss is still often misconstrued as an endeavour to fit into a sample sized dress, rather than to drop unhealthy kilos and become the fittest version of yourself.

One of the biggest stereotypes in society is that being skinny means you’re happier, prettier and healthier than everyone else. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting a slimmer physique, focusing solely on “getting skinny” can quickly deviate into unhealthy thoughts and practices. However, when the focus shifts from the size of your jeans to health and fitness, we tend to obsess less about weight and prioritize a better, healthier lifestyle.

Getting fit should be about improving health, strength and confidence – not about looking skinny. For athletes fitness and nutrition can be very strict, but for the general person who wants to be a fitter, more healthier version of their former self, It’s all about small lifestyle changes, and over time, this will reflect in your body weight too.

Choose nutritional food that fuel your body and experiment with activities. Have fun with boxing, Cross Fit, weight training, walking, jogging, swimming, yoga/Pilates or Zumba. The activity that works the best is the one you enjoy and will stick to.

Fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. So, remind yourself regularly of the parts of your body you’re proud of and keep working at the parts you’d like to improve.

Source: livefit.com, cosmopolitan.com, nutriadvanced.com, vogue.in, self.com, womenshealthmag.com, inspireohealth.co.uk, goodhousekeeping.com, news24.com, healthline.com

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.