Can you be plus size and healthy

See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Is carrying a few extra pounds really as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be?

This was a bit of a setback for those who advocate an approach known as Health at Every Size. What is Health at Every Size? Weight is Just a Number First, it is true that the number on the scale does not tell the whole story about your health. Fiber 2. Get smart. Just recently, Cosmopolitan UK , our sister magazine across the pond, placed women of various sizes on their cover with a headline, "This is Healthy!

In fairness, when we've all been told for generations that thin is healthy and fat is unhealthy, even by our doctors, it's understandable that people think this way. But this "worry" about another person's health is often more about fatphobia than actual concern. So what's the deal?

Can you actually be healthy at a higher weight? Can you be fat and fit? The short answer is yes! Here's what you need to know:. Traditionally, medical experts have considered the BMI body mass index to be the key or even sole! Plain and simple. But a growing number of healthcare professionals are now saying that bodyweight is actually not the best way to assess health. It's the health-supporting behaviors you practice on a daily basis, as well as crucial health indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and hormone levels, that may matter more than your BMI or the number on the scale.

And the opposite can be true, too. People assume a lack of body fat means health, but that's not necessarily the case. Even if bodyweight alone was a good indicator of your fitness level, there are people who simply won't have a small body no matter what they do.

Genetics, ethnic background, and family history all have a big impact on body type, as well as where you hold your fat and how your metabolism functions, says Dr.

View on Instagram. What determines your health is how physically active you are, not how thin you are. So instead of worrying about how to look, worry about how much weight you can lift, how many miles you can run, and how long you can balance in tree pose. It's all about being bodypositive.