Are you still relying on the scale to tell you whether or not you are healthy? You might want to rethink that, because it’s becoming more clear that weight is not actually a reliable indicator of your overall health.
Recent findings include a study published in 2008 and a “pooling” of various studies published in 2013, both of which found that BMI (Body Mass Index) is not a reliable form or determining whether someone will suffer health risks.
In fact, there has been much debate about BMI among medical professionals, nutritionists, etc., for some time now, as it cannot determine how much of a person’s weight is made up of fat or muscle.
But if your weight is not a form of reliable data, what are some better indications of your future health?
4 Health Indicators More Important than Your Weight
Your future health depends a lot on how you live your life today. Are you caring for your body right now?
Let’s explore some of the best indicators of health and well being:
1. Your Activity Level
It’s true. Your activity level does have an impact on your health, but not in the way that most people think. Being an active person doesn’t mean you have to run marathons or do hours of strenuous exercise at the gym.
In fact, it’s much healthier to do moderate exercise on a regular basis than bursts of exercise (or worse, overexercise) more sporadically. Gardening, leisure walking, housework, etc are all great ways to remain active.
2. Your Genetics
Your genetics play one of the biggest roles in your long term health, but this doesn’t have to be a lifetime sentence!
Knowledge is power when it comes to your risk factors. Once you know what your specific risk factors are, be proactive and take steps toward prevention.
3. Recreational and Prescription Substances
Wow, that is a pretty broad category, but it works because I want to convey how important it is to know what you are putting into your body.
Recreational substances like cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs have a huge impact on your health in years to come. Some of them are fine in moderation (like red wine), while others will only reek havoc on your body.
The same goes for prescription drugs. I recommend avoiding prescription drugs if possible. If you do need to take them, be aware of the short and long term health implications of taking them.
4. Nutrition
I would argue that your nutrition is the most important indicator of your health, and certainly the most proactive approach.
I do not agree, however, with the “politically correct” nutrition of modern medicine (or modern government).
Take for instance the governments long sought war on fat. Our bodies need good fats to metabolize essential vitamins and nutrients. New to learning about the benefits of fat? Read the truth about fat.
Why I Ditched The Scale
I quit weighing myself about 4 years ago during my third pregnancy. I realized during previous pregnancies that weight had become a stress factor for me despite the fact that it had no bearing on how I felt or how healthy I was.
I instead chose to focus on nutrition, mainly on eating The Brewer Diet. After pregnancy, I studied and applied the principals of Nourishing Traditions (Weston A. Price Foundation) to my diet and lifestyle.
I have had many doctors act bewildered that I never have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or other markers of degrading health despite the fact that I am “overweight” according to their charts.
But I know better than anyone that my health and wellness has nothing to do with my weight. In fact, I feel much better today (at one of my highest weights) than I did 5 years ago eating a low fat diet.
What is the difference between then and now?
Nutrition!
5 years ago I was starving my body of nutrients following the low fat diet that my doctors prescribed. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and was living in pain almost every day, even at one of my lowest post-pregnancy weights.
Today, I eat lots of healthy fat, bone broth, and probiotics. I weight more, but I feel great.
What is more important: The number on the scale? Or how healthy and vibrant you FEEL?
Further Reading: Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
Low fat is E-VIL!