If you've been reading my blog for a while, by now you're probably really comfortable with the idea that you don't have to be super skinny to be healthy.
Most of us have seen pictures like this and believe that we don't need to be only skin, bone, and muscle to be healthy.
But...
How do you view health? Do you think you can tell if someone is healthy just by looking at them?
I used to worry about this soooo much. If I felt fat, I was "SURE" the cheesecake I had the day before had caused a 5 pound weight gain. Cellulite? I "KNEW" that was the result of not working out that week.
I used to think you could EYEBALL my health indiscretions.
This made me feel like Big Brother was always watching. And my body revealed every misstep like a scarlet J for junk food or L for lazy. I thought, for sure, people could see what I had done wrong with my body.
I truly believed this. I was a regular Ayn Rand about body size. I figured if you were "overweight," that it was your responsibility. I thought getting to a "healthy" body was simply a matter of hard work and dedication. I thought we all had the tools and resources to look healthy. We just had to pull ourselves up by our booty-boot-camp straps.
Not all bodies are designed to be chiseled like Jillian Michaels and Channing Tatum.
You can't tell somebody's story just by looking at their body. You don't know their genetics. You don't know if they've lost 100 pounds to get to where they are. You don't know if it's healthy for them. Some people are healthiest at larger sizes. Some are born to be small. Some are muscular. Unless you're a trained medical professional, it's just not your job to assess their physical well-being by giving them the up-and-down.
And, frankly, my dear, you shouldn't give a damn.
The truth is, regardless of one's size, human beings are entitled to freedom. Freedom to choose what to do with their lives. Freedom to eat freedom fries and liberty toast. People should be allowed to eat cheesecake and skip the gym. Life is not about doing everything right all the time.
And that sounds alright to me.