Ode to Good Health

I saw a Reel online posted by a fat woman who asked, "Why is my being fat the only thing you can say about me? What about all my other qualities?"

Here's how I answered her: For starters, we don't know you and can only see what you look like. Certainly when it's a friend, neighbor or colleague we know other things about them. But still, being fat isn't about how you look but about how you act. What behavior did you indulge in to get that fat? That's what people object to, not how you look. Eating too much (gluttony), eating too much of the wrong foods (poor judgement), thinking about food constantly (lame brain), planning every activity around a meal (boring personality) -- these are not behaviors I seek out in people. 

Hollywood has recently taken things to the extreme, with otherwise beautiful young actresses striving for totally flat chests (except for the fake boob crowd), sunken cheeks and skinny arms. Where are the role models for strong, healthy bodies? 

The times are certainly ripe for a return to putting health and fitness on a pedestal. Remember the President's Council on Physical Fitness established back in 1963 by President Kennedy? Supposedly it still exists, with a different name, but if you look at today's youth you've got to wonder who's in charge and what it could possibly mean.