Guest Post: My Weight Is Not Measured In Pounds

Today’s guest post comes from Andrea Matthes, a Certified Personal Trainer and blogger, who I met at the annual meeting of the Obesity Action Coalition in Orlando – the post speaks for itself.

I recently attended the Obesity Action Coalition’s annual Your Weight Matters Convention and got the opportunity to hear Dr. Sharma’s keynote presentation titled, “Health is Not Measured in Pounds.” I found myself sitting in my chair, agreeing so emphatically that I was full-body nodding at the waist. By the end of his speech, I couldn’t contain myself– I jumped out of my chair making the first, very loud clap that echoed through the room, only to be followed by hundreds of other claps and a full-house standing ovation. Dr. Sharma’s message was something I needed to hear. Not because it was a new theory to me, but because up until that hour, his theory was what I was experiencing first-hand.

I am 5 feet, one inch tall and weigh 165lbs (when slightly dehydrated). At my current height/weight my BMI is 31.2, also known as: OBESE. A word that is often associated with laziness, overeating, diabetes, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and overall ill health. According to this number, I need to lose at least 35lbs if I want to reach the “normal” range in order to be considered “healthy”.

Can I just tell you how frustrating that is?

I am living an exceptionally healthy, full and active lifestyle. My blood pressure is perfect, my cholesterol levels are great, and my A1C is consistently normal. My daily life consists of running, jumping, lifting heavy objects, and eating a diet that most people would consider ideal. I am extremely proud of the lifestyle I live. I am able to climb mountains, run races, surf, ski, and flip a perfectly executed cartwheel at the drop of a hat. Yet, I am told that in order to be healthy, I need to lose weight!

How ridiculous is that?

It’s extremely ridiculous and unfair that I have to live with a label that is based on a fancy formula for size; a label that says I need to lose weight in order to avoid potential misdiagnoses, higher insurance premiums, and social stigma. It’s unfair that my TRUE health has very little to do with pounds and everything to do with how I live my life. This is what my obesity looks like:

I am a running, swimming, cycling, heavy-lifting, nutrient-eating, LIFE-LOVING, 5-foot-one-inch-tall, 37-year-old woman who also weighs 165lbs which leaves me with a label that misrepresents the life I live and my health!

I may be obese according to BMI but that does not mean I am unhealthy.

My obese body is strong, it is capable, it is HEALTHY. In fact, my obese body is healthy enough to do things that many skinny people can’t do. So weigh me all you want, but please, do not measure my HEALTH in pounds.

ABOUT ANDREA

Andrea has lost 164 pounds with a jumpstart from gastric bypass surgery followed by a complete lifestyle overhaul. She is now a Certified Personal Trainer, Level One CrossFit Coach and has completed over 25 races since March of 2013. Andrea blogs about her REAL FOOD, REAL FITNESS, REAL LIFE approach at www.imperfectlife.net where she strives to inspire others to let go of perfection and learn to love their one and only I’mperfect Life.