What is skinny ? I don't mean the body shape, but the popular term used to describe just about every diet food out there these days. Skinny latte, skinny lasagne, skinny jeans… ok that is not a food, but it had to come up.
I have a personal issue with the word I suppose. It's true that I was never a big fan of the word "diet" either, but "skinny" just gets under my skin. People eat foods with labels like "skinny," "diet," "low-fat," etc. Most of the time they are loaded with sugars or other products with long names that probably should not be in our bodies (once I do my studies, maybe I will be able to tell you what those are). That low-fat strawberry yogurt that you feel good eating for desert, has sugar in it. I think you all know how much crap is in a diet soda. If you want the soda, just get the non-diet version. Still full of sugar, but maybe not quite so toxic. I have been through this on one of my many diets. I have eaten the pre-made "diet" menus with my diet soda and fat free yogurt. After a few weeks, I do lose weight. I also feel tired and cranky all the time. So, I will have a few skinny lattes with an extra shot of expresso. Now, I am filled with weird toxins from the pre-packaged meals, sugar from my fat-free fruit yogurt, aspartame from my diet soda and a few extra shots of caffeine and sugar from all those lattes. Sound familiar? This is probably also why this kind of diet does not last. We think if it is labelled skinny, then it is healthy but we wouldn't need to label any food "skinny" if it really was skinny. We don't say "skinny broccoli" now, do we?
So, what's my problem with the word "skinny" while foods have so many other labels that are just as ridiculous? I guess because labels like "low-fat" or "low-carb," are terms that describe the food or something that we think we need to restrict. The word "skinny" to me, is a body shape. It implies that I should strive to be skinny. This comes back to my original question - "What is skinny?" - but only now I mean the shape. We all have different ideas of what skinny is. My idea is probably anything under 200 lbs, but that is because I am not there yet. When I get there, maybe my opinion will change. Some people are naturally thin, but probably not skinny in their own opinions. Maybe I have always seen it as an insult, "That girl is way too skinny, she should eat a hamburger." I know I have said stupid things like this.
The word "healthy" can also be abused, but it is a pretty word, isn't it? I want to be healthy. It sounds like a more wholesome goal. I mean, of course we all have different ideas of healthy too. My idea is to rid my body of all the crepe that I can't help putting into it. It is a haughty goal. I still love coffee, wine, cheese, bread... but I hope to be able to add more real food. I don't want my daughter to strive to be skinny because supposed health foods tell her that is the correct goal. I hope that someday she will say, "I want to be fit and healthy - like my mom."
I have a personal issue with the word I suppose. It's true that I was never a big fan of the word "diet" either, but "skinny" just gets under my skin. People eat foods with labels like "skinny," "diet," "low-fat," etc. Most of the time they are loaded with sugars or other products with long names that probably should not be in our bodies (once I do my studies, maybe I will be able to tell you what those are). That low-fat strawberry yogurt that you feel good eating for desert, has sugar in it. I think you all know how much crap is in a diet soda. If you want the soda, just get the non-diet version. Still full of sugar, but maybe not quite so toxic. I have been through this on one of my many diets. I have eaten the pre-made "diet" menus with my diet soda and fat free yogurt. After a few weeks, I do lose weight. I also feel tired and cranky all the time. So, I will have a few skinny lattes with an extra shot of expresso. Now, I am filled with weird toxins from the pre-packaged meals, sugar from my fat-free fruit yogurt, aspartame from my diet soda and a few extra shots of caffeine and sugar from all those lattes. Sound familiar? This is probably also why this kind of diet does not last. We think if it is labelled skinny, then it is healthy but we wouldn't need to label any food "skinny" if it really was skinny. We don't say "skinny broccoli" now, do we?
So, what's my problem with the word "skinny" while foods have so many other labels that are just as ridiculous? I guess because labels like "low-fat" or "low-carb," are terms that describe the food or something that we think we need to restrict. The word "skinny" to me, is a body shape. It implies that I should strive to be skinny. This comes back to my original question - "What is skinny?" - but only now I mean the shape. We all have different ideas of what skinny is. My idea is probably anything under 200 lbs, but that is because I am not there yet. When I get there, maybe my opinion will change. Some people are naturally thin, but probably not skinny in their own opinions. Maybe I have always seen it as an insult, "That girl is way too skinny, she should eat a hamburger." I know I have said stupid things like this.
The word "healthy" can also be abused, but it is a pretty word, isn't it? I want to be healthy. It sounds like a more wholesome goal. I mean, of course we all have different ideas of healthy too. My idea is to rid my body of all the crepe that I can't help putting into it. It is a haughty goal. I still love coffee, wine, cheese, bread... but I hope to be able to add more real food. I don't want my daughter to strive to be skinny because supposed health foods tell her that is the correct goal. I hope that someday she will say, "I want to be fit and healthy - like my mom."