This is my first post so I apologize for any breaches of ettiquette and any grammatical or spelling errors. While I will try to edit out errors, I don’t believe any which make the post will cause anyone serious problems in understanding the post. Also sorry about the length, but I will probably only post once and want to fully state my position and supporting information.
First this debate actually inspired me to join this message board. Clearly people have very strong feelings about wieght/fat/health issues (as if this is news to anyone), so I will try to be sensitive. And to give away my position I am a sucker for the underdog, however I feel both sides have very valid points. I know the original post was about Hollywood images, but I don’t think that is the whole subject of the post and it has clearly broadened.
I find it important to note the difference between fitness levels of unhealthy underweight indivduals (anorexics/bulemics/Calista Flockheart, hope I didn’t violate the terms of agreement in my first post by disparaging Calista) and those that have very low body fat, plenty of muscle tone, and are fit.
I come from a large family and intend to use them and myself as anecdotal evidence of my views. I believe we serve as a useful model because we are genetically very similar ( requirement of lab rats in scientific studies I believe) and we encompass a wide variety of body types. My dad was a 3 sport athlete in high school and extremely fit (at 5’10" he weighed 180 pounds with large (bone and muscle) frame). In college and beyond he engaged in physical activity infrequently and reached 230+ pounds. For the past year (age 55) he has engaged in regular fairly intense exercise for 1 hour averaging three times a week and another hour of ashtanga yoga. He has improved his level of fitness, but has not dramatically changed his body composition (proportions of fat and lean body tissue)because he has not adjusted his diet. He is however healthier, stronger and more physically fit. He moves better and feels better.
I was chunky from elementary school and into graduate school. Growing up I did not have good role models for exercise, fitness or a sensible diet. In my junior year of undergrad I began weight training and have steadily increased my routine over 8 years to the point where I now work out twice a day Monday through Friday(40-45 minutes at 6 am and just over an hour at lunch and then eat at my desk). My goal then was to get that shredded “six pack” look, currently I have a four pack and that last layer of fat is stubborn. When I started I thought I would get that look and that would be it. Now I have incorporated exercise into my life as habit, and feel the effects when I miss a session. During the week I treat food as fuel, and generally eat brown rice mixed with frozen vegetables and canned albacore tuna. I can make a weeks worth of lunches packed and ready to go in about a half hour on Sunday night. On the weekends I eat whatever I want, including the occasional Ben and Jerry’s just down the street (the caveat is I must walk). However I try not to go to overboard in the indulgence. I generally weigh the value (in terms of how it will effect my body vs. how good it tastes) of all the food I eat, and I drink lots of water. Currently I am 5’11" and 160 pounds. I have a small frame and enough/plenty of muscle so I look like I can skip a meal or two without dying despite low body fat levels. I find it important to note the difference between fitness levels of unhealthy underweight indivduals (anorexics/bulemics/Calista Flockheart, hope I didn’t violate the terms of agreement in my first post by disparaging Calista) and those that have very low body fat, but plenty of muscle tone.
I feel I have worked hard to get to where I am, and I take pride in my accomplishments. Understandably I can get defensive when someone tries to diminish my accomplishments by thinking I had a genetic advantage. Apparently other people may get similarly defensive. This to me seems to be why this debate has become venomous. When I began, exercise was a tool to reach a goal and I did not particularly enjoy time in the gym (which, like most unfamilar places, can be intimidating). Now I consider fitness a lifestyle. I really know my body, it’s limits and how it reacts to intense exercise and different foods. I consider my time in the gym my personal time or down time and I really enjoy it. In my profession I don’t get the benefit of tangible results that often, so it is nice to compliment work accomplishments with the physical results exercise gives me. The tandem of physical success along with academic/work success has proved, for me, to be a tremendous confidence booster. I constantly strive for new goals, and am very reward oriented. I have a time consumptive career (I leave for work at 8am and raraly return before 7pm, 20 minute commute). I know the intense exercise I engage in helps my body maintain a demanding schedule. Furthermore it will help me age gracefully granting me time to spend on outside activities in excess of the time I spend in the gym. I really believe that regular exercise creates more time than it consumes.
Back to the family anecdote. My Uncle is the sort of person people think is blessed with a high metabolism and can eat whatever he wants without exercise and never gain weight. I believe such people are as rare as those who can’t change their body composition despite watching what they eat and exercising. The truth is he watches his weight and regularly exercises. When he notices he gains weight he eats less and picks the exercise up a nothch to get back to his desired shape (5’9" and 160 pounds on a small frame). Physically he is almost identical to my grandfather. His son (my cousin) was a three sport athlete in high school. He was in extraordinary shape then. However irregular exercise in college turned into no exercise after marriage and I would estimate he has gained at a minimum of 60 pounds.
My oldest aunt was chunky until late in High School. However she began watching her diet (which was unfortunately inspired by ridicule). After High School she began exercising regularly and continues to this day. Now she is 5’9" on a medium frame and weighs a healthy 150 pounds. She would say she is fat.
My youngest aunt was an athlete in high school and very fit. After graduation she married, quit exercising and has steadily gained weight to where she is currently. She is 5’2" and over 200 pounds. In anyones book she would be considered obese. I absolutely love her. She is one of my favorite relatives, and I consider her a role model. She is an extremely dedicated mother and the family bread winner (her husband has to limit his work related and other stress because of a congenital heart defect). She admits her weight is the result of her life choices since she doesn’t place a priority on fat reduction. Physically she resembles my grandmother.
I feel (no scientific evidence, but I would wager a fairly large sum on it) that, like my family, nearly all of us are fairly similar in our genetic ability to be almost any shape in the spectrum, and any differences will be minor. I volunteer for Special Olympics and Paralympics and many of those kids have tremendous genetic deficiencies that the rest of us are blessed enough to have avoided and yet they often achieve surprising results.
Life is a combination of habits. Some of us come from a family that engendered good habits and generally eat only enough to meet their energy requirements. Others of us have adopted the poor habits that were modeled for us or we picked them up on our own. I truly beleive that the way to a satifying life is to identify those habits that have subjectively(from the individuals pespective) dissatisfactory results and change them. It is unfortunate that those people who are obese as a result of their bad habits (and not some other reason) are unable to hide it, like the many hidden bad habits that do not have such an obvious consequence.
The simple truth is an ideal body is the result of dedication and hard work in 99% of the cases. We should all agree that the attainment of a goal through hard work and dedication is something to be admired.
If you are interested in really learning something about this I would recommend the book Body Engineering. I picked up the hardcover at Amazon.com for $5 and change. I find it enlightening and inspiring. Thanks to everyone who read my entire post. I hope everyone finds peace in their indivduality.
Ho-Hos are rolled-up Ding Dongs. They’re cylindrical, about 4 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, and if you cut one in half you’ll see this spiral swirl of chocolate cake and creme filling. Like Ding Dongs, Ho-Hos are also covered in chocolate icing.