“Healthy”

This one word can be used to describe one person but can have two different meanings. 

 

I was attending an event in Raleigh NC a few years ago called Women’s Empowerment.  This is an event where thousands of women throughout the U.S. gather together to be empowered by celebrity keynote speakers, music artist, a fashion show, and various workshops to help with over all life and success for women.

 

At this event each year they have a segment called “Black Men Revealed.”  It consists of a panel of well-known African American men (i.e. actors, singers, etc.) that come together on stage to have discussions on various topics relating to relationships.  Some of the topics the guys may all agree on, other topics they may have completely different views on. This gives women an opportunity to hear what men really think when it comes to certain situations.   

 

This one particular year the hostess for Black Men Revealed was a full figured woman. It just so happened that a discussion relating to full figured women came up.  The hostess decided to asked one of the guys who is an actor, if he only goes for the skinny women, or would he date a “healthy” thick woman like herself.  When she asked this question, I was nervous for the guy because everyone knows he is married to a beautiful slim and fit woman that is also an actress.  Here he is surrounded by twenty thousand women that are all different shapes and sizes anticipating his answer.  He starts by asking her what she defined as “healthy.”  Before she was able to answer him, he proceeds with his answer.  He says that he does not have a problem with dating a woman that is “healthy” meaning that she is thick and curvy as long as she is “healthy” meaning medical wise.  He wants him and his wife to be able to live for a very long time.  He does not want to worry about health issues associated with poor dieting and lack of exercise.  He wants to be able to enjoy and grow old with whoever he is with.  He got booed from some of the women.  But I actually could see where he was coming from.  But do all men of his caliber think like this? 

 

For the most part there is a stereo type that most guys (especially celebrity men) that are slim and sexy are not going to go for the woman that is full figured and curvy.  They are always known to have that “trophy” girlfriend or wife.  So do these men that go for these types of women are with them because of their outward appearance?  Or is it really because they feel that if their trophy girlfriend/wife is thin, than they are considered as being healthy?   What they fail to realize is that size and beauty does not equate to being healthy.  Not all thin women got their size and shape by living a healthy lifestyle.  According to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health eight million Americans have an eating disorder.  Seven million of those people are women.   You have those that go through drastic measures in order to be the “ideal” type of woman.  Plastic surgery, breast implants, gastric bypass, those things take care of the outside appearance.  It is not the outward appearance that makes a person “healthy,” it is what’s going on in the inside of your body that counts. 

 

We only get one life and one body.  Let’s try to do better to enjoy the life we have by eating better and exercising more often.  We don’t want to spend the rest of our lives taking pills and constantly in and out of hospitals because of medical issues that we could have prevented.  Take care of your body

 

I am all for loving your body regardless if you are thin or full figured, but live healthy. You can #just_elf_you and still live a healthy lifestyle.