Do you measure yourself to those around you? If you do look out because more than one adult in three is overweight or obese. Do you find yourself saying “yea I know I’m out of shape and I need to lose a LBS, but I better than that guy (or girl).” If you do you should rethink your position because your health is a personal thing it may ultimately affect others like your loved ones but it most dramatically affects you. How you feel and your quality of life are at stake.

As Americans have moved the scales in recent years, people have adjusted their views and opinions and there is now a new normal regarding weight and being overweight. Instead of viewing themselves as being overweight a growing number of Americans consider their weight “about right”. A study published in JAMA last year further solidified this point as the study found that fewer adults who were overweight or obese were trying to shed excess pounds. No longer feeling the peer pressure these growing (double meaning on purpose) numbers of people are choosing to do nothing, convincing themselves they are of normal weight. Which maybe the case they may now be of normal size according to 2018 standards but that doesn’t make them a healthy weight. You can’t fool Mother Nature if you are overweight especially if you are grossly overweight or obese you are much more likely to suffer the health consequences. Health consequences like heart disease, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and dozens of types of cancers. No matter if you choose to fool yourself you risk suffering poor health. It is a lot easier to maintain good health than to recover from poor health.

Dr. Edward Livingston, bariatric surgeon at the University of Texas, Southwestern School of Medicine  wrote and editorial in JAMA suggesting a message of encouraging physical fitness rather than weight loss because the weight loss message is being ignored. Another JAMA article written by a team of specialists stated “Low cardio-respiratory fitness may pose a greater risk to health than obesity.” The study they conducted compared normal weight physically fit individuals with unfit individuals and regardless of what they weighed, and found that those who were fit and overweight or obese did not face a significantly greater mortality risk when compared with normal weight individuals. I guess this is great news if you want to be the new normal and be overweight, congratulations you will live as long as the old normal weight people. But, the study didn’t take into account the chronic diseases that are associated with being overweight and obese. It maybe that modern medicine will give you the treatments to live long but the question is will you live well, will you really be healthy. Why not chose to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you need to adjust your diet, change your lifestyle, exercise and work to be the best version of yourself. Americans are turning into marshmallows, we are soft. If we don’t like the standard just lower it. I’m not fat I’m normal. Chose to be healthy and do the work you will be better off. Don’t be normal.