Does Fitness Have A Size?

It’s a question that’s been doing the rounds on our timelines. Some say that being heavy doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not healthy, while others disagree. WH looks at why you should think twice before judging a person’s fitness by their body

When most people look at 36-year-old Samantha Smith, they don’t see a woman who can do one of the most challenging body-weight exercises around – the pull-up – because her body doesn’t correspond to the typical idea we have of someone who exercises. “I consider myself fit. I train nine times a week. I’m able to complete the Grid and still walk up a flight of stairs afterwards,” says Samantha, who’s also a busy small-business owner. The fitness and clean-eating movements have mushroomed and many women are exercising more often and harder than ever before. Gone are the days of gentle leotard-clad aerobics – they’ve been replaced by sweaty, challenging athletic moves and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. This includes plus sized women. How many times have you seen a bigger woman and instantly concluded that they live on junk food, are unfit and probably unhealthy? It’s become a knee-jerk reaction to assume that if someone is overweight they cannot be fit and healthy. “I complete my health assessments every six months and I’m considered to be in good health,” explains Samantha. The perceived wisdom is simple – obesity is a bad thing; the symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle and the short cut to an early grave. But what if the reality was more complicated?

WEIGHING THINGS OUT