Nowhere in Lynsie’s post did I read that she discounts the importance of being strong and fit. (In fact, her usage of the examples of traditional women proves her point that many cultures need strong women, and those females gain their strength in large part from the good foods that they eat.) What I understood from her writings is that it is important to eat well and live well in order to FEEL good. Inner and outer strength is an integral part of that, and it cannot be simply attained by lifting weights.

Your final two hypothetical quotes are rude, inaccurate, and irrelevant. I strongly encourage you to re-evaluate your own personal peace and sense of self before passive aggressively belittling the solidly founded happiness of others.

Best,
Serena

Thank you for what you’re doing!

I, unfortunately, knew and still know many women and a few men who have eating disorders or who obsessively exercise. I’ve seen how these destructive behaviors can hurt both these people and their families, all for the sake of trying to stubbornly form their body into the way it should “look,” but not necessarily the way it should “be.”

Also, when sitting in my doctor’s office and being told that I would be unable to conceive due to my weight, this news was coming from a woman who was obviously very thin and very concerned with her weight. When I moved to my midwife, I replayed the story of my experience for her, and believe it or not, my midwife guessed the name of the doctor I was referring to.

You’re absolutely right that excess fat can lead to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more! On my father’s side, heart disease has always been a serious problem. In fact, at age 7, my father even had a quadruple bypass! The problems that accompany excess fat have been in the forefront of my mind since I was a child. This is why I do what I do-however, I often think that what each of us is recommended to do by doctors, dietitians, and exercise experts (diet, exercise too much) is the wrong advice. I suggest that each of us eats real, healthy food that is unprocessed, and that eventually, our bodies will re-calibrate themselves to be the size that we’re meant to be. Some of us are meant to have a little padding, and if that’s our normal, then I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think the goal is to achieve optimum health for each individual by following individual forms of practice that are healthy and natural.

I see this obsession with low numbers on the scale and self image as a serious problem, and it sounds like you do, too. I’ve actually heard of your website before and have visited prior to hearing from you here. It looks like we’re both actively working toward the same goal of encouraging healthier lifestyles in moms and dads across our country. We’re both working toward the same end point, just on two different paths.
Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished and I look forward to keeping up to date with what’s going on in your running world! Thanks for your comment.

While I completely agree with you that we should be happy with our bodies and self image, the bottom line is excess fat can and does lead to underlying serious issues, such as cardiovascular diseases and even cancer just to name a few. No, having high fat percentage is not a death sentence for everyone, but it certainly can be for most. I didn’t see this chick on the Today show,but it does sound like she didn’t put her message out very well. Being “thin” by society’s ridiculous standards is not what’s important…being healthy on the inside is what’s important.

Anyway, a friend pointed me in the direction of your post and I guess it struck a nerve (I wanted to defend my calipers, haha), sorry for the long comment:) I’m very happy that you are in a good spot with your self confidence, because honestly mental health is just as important in the overall picture, and you are right, struggling and starving yourself is NOT good. Congrats on the pregnancy!!