Women’s Healthy Weight Day

Women’s Healthy Weight Day is Thursday of the Third Full Week of January

This holiday falls in the middle of Healthy Weight Week. First, let’s clarify something real quick: standards of health and beauty are different. So Women’s Healthy Weight Day, is actually a lot of different weights! Celebrate January 23rd by NOT checking your scale and reminding yourself that no one gets to tell you what you should weigh. 

For decades, folks have used weight as an indication of health. This is not effective. Not only can this be hurtful, but it’s also inaccurate. Health is defined by physical, mental, and social well-being: nutrition, exercise, mental stability, sleep, and free from injury. Not a number on a scale. Traditionally, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the standard to determine a healthy weight. Recently, scientists have been working on new standards to measure healthy weights more accurately than BMI. Either way, both BMI and the new methods are different than the pounds you weigh! Plus, weight can depend on many things- maybe you’re a mother or an athlete, maybe you have a pre existing medical condition. 

This holiday should celebrate women’s healthy weight by recognizing that women weigh all different numbers. And that weight isn’t a direct indication of health. Here are some questions for you to think about on this holiday: 

• Why isn’t there a Men’s Healthy Weight Day?
• Why do we associate folks who appear ‘average’ or underweight to be healthy?
• How can I adopt healthier habits into my life?

It’s important to stay healthy, which is likely why this holiday was created. It’s also important to not become obsessed with weighing yourself. Remember that Dove ‘Real Body’ commercial in 2013? That was a celebration of women’s healthy weight. The body positivity movement is a celebration of women’s healthy weight. Every time you take care of yourself: eating a nutritious meal, going for a walk, eating less sugar, taking a break from a stressful environment- you are inviting health into your life. Keep on inviting that type of health, not a number on a scale!