The Wake

Choose your poison, because in this land of polarity you’re bound to be labeled with one side of the American body image scale. That may sound dramatic, but with over two-thirds of American adults considered clinically overweight and disorders such as anorexia and bulimia on a constant rise, body shapes and sizes are losing their shades of gray.

Early this January I sat with a close friend as we contemplated all the messages about how to fix our bodies that had been shoved down our throats since the New Year had begun. Food labeled “lean” this and “low-carb” that being broadcast into every orifice of our souls, not to mention every brand and their mother company offering diet challenges. With all these messages we were starting to fear that we were pretty fat.

“There is a reason to be alarmed from a population outlook,” said Hilmar Wagner, a licensed nutritionist. Wagner believes sedentary lifestyles and patterns in caloric intake account for the steady increase in obesity in America.

“Americans snack more and eat bigger portions,” said Wagner, and labor saving devices such as cars, elevators and convenient communication take away from day-to-day activities that could burn calories. These unused calories add up over time. For example, the short walk across the Washington Avenue Bridge from the east to west bank of the University of Minnesota campus burns around 45 calories, which is missed out on when we take the bus.

So yes, America is fat. But then there exists the other portion of American bodies, the people who have been taken into the fear tactics and pressures of the media. These people’s massive fear of obesity has reversed the issue into something just as harmful.

Pressures. The pressure to be thin comes at us from all directions—the media, friends, family and within. So we try to reach this illusion of perfection by all means possible. I can’t count the number of times I’ve felt guilty after having a big meal and finishing off with dessert. Sure it tasted good, but I didn’t need those calories. And heaven forbid I drink a pop that isn’t diet or have ice cream that isn’t low fat. It becomes exhausting evaluating foods and pulling together a personal hodgepodge of diet tips and tricks, but that’s life, and for many it goes dangerously further.

Not surprising, since we are subjected to the messages and the pressures to be thinner constantly. Young women especially are continually inundated with the psychological message that “it’s never thin enough.” Hollywood stars and magazine models are much smaller now than ever before, and fashion trends continue to pressure women to become thinner still.

“This is certainly being fed by consumer tastes,” said Wagner, who has dealt with eating disorders and has seen anorexia become more diagnosed, more socially acknowledged and more common in the last 20 years. “We have to look at how society looks at women in particular. We need to have a more realistic idea of body image and body size.”

So what is a realistic, healthy body image and size? Several equations are commonly used to calculate healthy body weight. One of these is the body mass index. The World Health Organization explains the BMI as weight in kilos divided by height in meters squared. At 20.7 I fall into the normal weight range. Around 17 is seen as underweight, between 25 and 29 is defined as overweight and anything over 30 is technically obese. To calculate your BMI go online and search “BMI calculator.”

Percent of body fat is another common tool used to determine healthy weights. Healthy women have 22-25 percent body fat and healthy men have 15-18 percent.

“Some young women have this sense that they need to be 0 percent fat,” said Wagner explaining that 0 percent is not healthy or realistic.

Aside from encouraging a more realistic view of ideal body image, there’s more the government can do to help Americans maintain a healthy weight.

Currently healthy food options are being downplayed, especially to younger generations where fast food alternatives are becoming more common in lunch rooms along with other sugary and fatty snacks. The government can help this problem by subsidizing healthier food industries such as fruits and vegetables, instead of the surplus of butter and sugar being subsidized now.

“They need to emphasize that we have to be more physically active,” said Wagner, noting that some new communities are being built without sidewalks, since people drive their cars everywhere they go and walk less than ever. With more stress on exercise, recreation and healthier eating habits, the government would support a less overweight and healthier population.

So let’s cut out the extremes of the scale and bring back some of those shades of gray that make up a healthy population. Besides, the psychological strain on the mind of being ultra thin and the physical stress on the body of being overweight are both poisons we can do without.

Stephanie Plant is a contributing Voices writer and welcomes comments at