“Fat” Food is Still Fat, Even if You’re Skinny

My husband came home last week and told us about someone on the train who was eating a double bacon cheeseburger with large fries, a milkshake, bag of cookies, etc.  You get the picture–a lot of unhealthy, fattening food.  He said it was really gross and that nobody wanted to sit in the seat next to this man.  I asked what this person looked like and he responded that the man was very overweight.  “Would it have been as gross if he were thin and eating the same food?” I asked.  My husband hesitated before he responded, “Yes.”  Correct answer, but–there WAS definitely a pause before he responded.

It’s typical.  As a society, we think it’s really “gross” when we see someone overweight eating that way, but the truth is it’s equally unhealthy when anyone is eating in that manner, regardless of how they look on the outside.  Why?  It’s like I tell my two very skinny teens–all that fat, sodium and cholesterol–it’s doing the same thing to the inside of your body no matter what you look like on the outside.

Some people, especially when they’re young, have been blessed with a fast metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want and not show it.  I’m sure you can think back to a boy from high school who could eat and eat without ever packing on a single pound.  Now flash forward to your 25th reunion and you’ll see the same guy, but barely be able to recognize him because at some point since graduation his metabolism went on vacation and he continued to eat like he did in high school.  What’s really concerning for individuals like this is the fact that they have been eating high fat/high sodium diets for a long time and despite the fact that it may not have shown up for awhile, it is still having an impact to their bodies.  Just because someone doesn’t gain weight doesn’t mean they’re immune to cholesterol buildup or high blood pressure.

We should pay as much attention to what’s going on inside our bodies as we do to the outside.  Instead of only worrying worrying about how you look externally, think about what you’re putting inside it and how it’s affecting you.  So, whether you’re 100 pounds overweight, or supermodel skinny–stuff yourself with fattening, unhealthy food and it’s equally “gross” to your body.

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