As many now focus on new health resolutions for the new year, experts say it's important to remember that being skinny and being healthy aren't mutually exclusive.
There are several reasons why Americans make New Year's resolutions.
Often the culprit is diet culture, a collective of social expectations.
This can be unhealthy and encourage unrealistic goals.
Free yourself from the chains of diet culture, and focus on attaining actual health by keeping these things in mind:
- BMI
Health professionals have long utilized body mass index to measure overall health.
BMI was the creation of 19th-century Belgian statistician Adolph Quetelet.
Used as a tool to measure weight distribution, BMI was based on Quetelet's vision of "the ideal man."
Experts say BMI was never intended to measure individual health.
"Access to fruits and vegetables, access to lean proteins, living in walkable neighborhoods... instead of looking at these factors, people want to focus just on the weight." Sabrina Strings, author of
'Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia,' via NPR.
- Eat Intuitively
"Our bodies are wired to know how to eat and to know how to respond to our needs." Ayan Habtemariam, dietitian, via NPR.
Experts say to honor your hunger with healthy greens and lean proteins.
Don't starve yourself.
"So that's what intuitive eating is. It's just learning to trust our bodies." Ayan Habtemariam, dietitian, via NPR
There are several reasons why Americans make New Year's resolutions.
Often the culprit is diet culture, a collective of social expectations.
This can be unhealthy and encourage unrealistic goals.
Free yourself from the chains of diet culture, and focus on attaining actual health by keeping these things in mind:
- BMI
Health professionals have long utilized body mass index to measure overall health.
BMI was the creation of 19th-century Belgian statistician Adolph Quetelet.
Used as a tool to measure weight distribution, BMI was based on Quetelet's vision of "the ideal man."
Experts say BMI was never intended to measure individual health.
"Access to fruits and vegetables, access to lean proteins, living in walkable neighborhoods... instead of looking at these factors, people want to focus just on the weight." Sabrina Strings, author of
'Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia,' via NPR.
- Eat Intuitively
"Our bodies are wired to know how to eat and to know how to respond to our needs." Ayan Habtemariam, dietitian, via NPR.
Experts say to honor your hunger with healthy greens and lean proteins.
Don't starve yourself.
"So that's what intuitive eating is. It's just learning to trust our bodies." Ayan Habtemariam, dietitian, via NPR
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Lifestyle