Comments on: What makes me healthy? http://juliafaye.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/what-makes-me-healthy/ because fat is a feminist issue Sat, 16 May 2009 03:34:07 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Julia http://juliafaye.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/what-makes-me-healthy/#comment-504 Julia Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:13:32 +0000 http://juliafaye.wordpress.com/?p=177#comment-504 No, there is no moral imperative to take care of your "health." I feel better, mentally and physically, when I do things that are good for my mental and physical health, by my own standards. I didn't even think of these things as deliberate health-improving activities until I started making this list. Rather, I noticed that these things I was doing anyway, as a matter of course in my daily life, happen to be things which contribute to my mental and physical health. I'm saying exactly the <i>opposite</i> of "good fatty/bad fatty" rules: no one defines your health but you. Many of the items on this list do not conform to "accepted" health strategies. They're mine. No, there is no moral imperative to take care of your “health.”

I feel better, mentally and physically, when I do things that are good for my mental and physical health, by my own standards. I didn’t even think of these things as deliberate health-improving activities until I started making this list. Rather, I noticed that these things I was doing anyway, as a matter of course in my daily life, happen to be things which contribute to my mental and physical health.

I’m saying exactly the opposite of “good fatty/bad fatty” rules: no one defines your health but you. Many of the items on this list do not conform to “accepted” health strategies. They’re mine.

]]> By: Fat Academic http://juliafaye.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/what-makes-me-healthy/#comment-503 Fat Academic Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:16:10 +0000 http://juliafaye.wordpress.com/?p=177#comment-503 Is there some sort of moral imperative involved in taking care of your "health"? Why do you feel you have to make such a list other than to justify your "high" BMI? And who are you trying to justify it to, others or yourself? All those things you do are fine if that is what you want to do. But are you doing them because they make you happy or because you think you have to do them in order to pursue this mandatory state of "health"? What would happen if you didn't do them? How would you feel about yourself (and your BMI) then? Would your self esteem still be intact? Or is your self worth reliant on undertaking these activities? Lists like this simply feed into the "good fatty/bad fatty" dynamic and do no one any favours at all. Is there some sort of moral imperative involved in taking care of your “health”? Why do you feel you have to make such a list other than to justify your “high” BMI? And who are you trying to justify it to, others or yourself?

All those things you do are fine if that is what you want to do. But are you doing them because they make you happy or because you think you have to do them in order to pursue this mandatory state of “health”?

What would happen if you didn’t do them? How would you feel about yourself (and your BMI) then? Would your self esteem still be intact? Or is your self worth reliant on undertaking these activities?

Lists like this simply feed into the “good fatty/bad fatty” dynamic and do no one any favours at all.

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