OUR VIEW: One body size does not fit all

Many diseases can be treated by a doctor who can diagnose the problem and prescribe a medicinal remedy. Some ailments are just as serious as a disease, yet not many people recognize them as being a real condition.

Eating disorders are one example. Whether it’s anorexia, bulimia or other extreme eating behaviors, both men and women are turning to extremes to alter their physical appearance. This has become more prevalent in recent years as stick-figure supermodels and size-zero celebrities slip their way into the minds of all ages through TV and magazines. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average weight for a female age 20 and older is 164.7 pounds, yet most models and celebrities we idolize are nowhere near that number.

We are setting an unrealistic goal for the young and adult people of America when we label anyone more than 120 pounds “curvy.” While it pays to be fit, there are extremes that should be avoided.

Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, we need to zero in on our state of health. It’s true that Americans are progressively becoming more overweight. Women in 2002 weighed an average of 24 pounds more than they did in 1964, according to the CDC. This only means it’s time to return to healthy lifestyles with less fast food and TV time. It means we need to skip the dessert instead of the gym and try to be fit for our own body type. Everyone has a different shape, height and bone structure, so the best goal is to become whatever makes sense for you personally.

That means some people are going to weigh more than others, but society and the media should not set an impossible standard of appearance, encouraging the lack of self esteem and happiness eating disorders bring.