Healthy Body Weight?

The author Marilyn Wann wrote a very entertaining piece on being fat and how she was and is treated. In the piece she attacks a lot of commonly held beliefs on fat people. She attacks these claims and even provides evidence from health journals that disproves many of the myths that are held in society today. Her stories and experiences are really cases of injustice and unfair treatment. However even through all of the occasions in her life where she was mistreated because of her size she is not bitter or has no animosity towards people.

In the article that she wrote, she has a lot of distinct mental models about healthy body weight that few people have. The way she approached having a “healthy” bodyweight is by believing that there is no such thing. She got to this mind state because of the fact that when she went to get her check-up at the doctor’s office, she did not have any problems with her blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugars. She is a very healthy individual who eats her vegetables and exercises. She is a legitimately healthy individual despite her size. Her other mental model towards having a healthy body weight is that even people who are at a “normal” body weight or are thin can still have health issues. She has a great mindset towards her size and because she is so confident, she was able to start up her own magazine for fat people, that has become a success.

The mental models that are held by many medical care industries and health insurance companies have had a major impact on the health and wellness of fat people. For example, the author of this article has to pay an astounding 4 times the rate than a thin person would have to pay on her health insurance. This rate is due to the fact that...

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...s also cause individuals to look at fat people and assume that they are unhealthy or at risk of dying prematurely and this is certainly not true.

My mental model on having a healthy body weight is not very strong. I do not believe that there is a set body weight that will determine how healthy you are. I do believe that people should exercise and eat healthy whether or not they are trying to lose weight. When I was younger I was one of the many people who thought that fat people were unhealthy, but after reading about nutrition and recognizing different body types I quickly changed my perception. My mental model is based on how I was taught in class and also how my parents approached exercise and nutrition. Clearly, after reading this article I feel like I am much more informed on the issue of body weight and its relation with health and overall wellness.