The problem with being skinny

Huh?  I can hear you thinking already.  What's the problem with being skinny?

Well, quite a bit if you're me.  I've always been a bit on the slimmer side but since having kids and being either pregnant or breastfeeding (or both) for the past 6 and a half years I seem to have lost a bit of weight.  Technically I am only on the borderline of being 'underweight' according to the BMI calculator but physically I know I am not healthy. I always feel exhausted, I often feel sick or emotionally low, and I often catch viruses that are going around.

It's not that I'm eating unhealthy.  We actually eat pretty healthily around here.  It's just that after attending to all the kids' needs I often can't be bothered making something for myself.  I also don't like that feeling of being overfull so will usually graze across the day which probably doesn't equate to a decent meal!  And then there's the problem that I get sick of the same old thing day after day (and I'm too lazy to think of something different to eat) so often just won't eat.  I know I need to focus more on myself and my needs instead of the kids (something I'm going to work on this year!!)

It's interesting to see how being thin is perceived in the community though.  Other people will often look at me and comment positively about how skinny I am.  Depending on who it is, I will usually just accept the compliment and not bother explaining that being 'this' skinny is not necessarily a good thing! Lots of people just don't 'get it'. 

It always bewilders me how people can view being skinny as healthy yet those that are a little 'larger' are unhealthy.  I guess it's just the images we are hit with in the media that makes skinny seem more attractive.  And I guess I can't blame people for being indoctrinated into these beliefs.

I think it's about time that we change our perceptions though.  Skinny does not always equal healthy.  And being large does not always equal unhealthy.  Let's refrain from making judgements about people based on their body size.  Meanwhile, I'm going to focus on looking after me and making sure I eat well so that I can be a healthier person!