Linda Bacon, Professor, researcher and author of Health at Every Size:The Surprising Truth About Your Weight and co-author of Body Respect, responds to “How Do I Know if I’m at a Healthy Weight?”:
“Your weight tells you, well, your weight. That’s about it. It doesn’t tell you anything about your health.
Everyone, regardless of what they weigh, can benefit from taking good care of themselves. When you stop conflating weight with health, you can find much more effective ways to pursue good health. What makes you feel better in your everyday life? Do you feel better when you eat more fruits and vegetables, drink more water, take a walk with a friend, meditate or get enough sleep? The scientific data is clear: Those behaviors enhance your health and well-being, regardless of whether they change your weight.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that people are healthy at any size; instead, I am suggesting that people at any size can be empowered to focus on improving their health by adopting behaviors that are not focused on weight.
Fat isn’t the real problem. A society that rejects anyone whose weight doesn’t conform to arbitrary standards is the problem. A medical establishment that equates “thin” with “healthy” is the problem. The best way to win the war against fat is to give up the fight.”