It feels like I am constantly battling with the ice cream in my freezer and the running shoes in my closet!  Know what I’m talking about? I just read about the newest winner of “The Biggest Loser.”   Twenty-four year old Rachel Frederickson went from 260 to 105 pounds, for a total loss of 155.  I am impressed by that kind of determination and perseverence, but also concerned- at five feet, five inches tall, this puts her body mass index (BMI) at 17.5, which is considered underweight. Going from dangerously overweight to underweight is quite a swing and it has me thinking- why are so many Americans at unhealthy weights? Why do so many of us struggle with body image issues? Why are there so many extremes- why is a healthy balance so difficult to achieve and maintain? Is it healthier to be overweight or underweight? I could go on and on. There are so many interesting comments on the articles reporting this story: some commentators applaud her accomplishment, others say she isn’t healthier this way and most certainly could not have achieved this weight loss in a healthy way. One commentator speculates that she lost all the weight to win the money and will probably gain back some of those pounds once the hype wears off.

Health is one of the hottest topics these days! With results of new studies being published everyday- often with different conclusions- just to mess with out heads, I think, with Obamacare causing a stir (a topic for another day), and with people living longer than ever before, there really is a lot of ground to cover! Beauty is a hot topic too and one that means something different to everyone, so who can say what is right ?

I think there has to be a lesson in this story and the fact that I now have a great need to eat a piece of chocolate has to be a part of that lesson. What that means, I guess, is that moderation is always important. So is feeling good about yourself, and taking care of your body and feeling positive about that is a great way to get there. If you need to lose 10 pounds, or even 100, do it in five pound increments and congratulate yourself for each accomplishment. If you can’t work out for an hour and a half every day like Frederickson says she now does, don’t beat up on yourself- take a five-minute walk around the block and feel good that you did that. And if you do eat that chocolate- make sure you enjoy it!