Friday with Heidi: How we (and others) screw us up.

I hope you are enjoying a simply fabulous week of British weather. I am in my element.

I love the outside. I love the sunny days. I love Wimbledon. It’s a good week.

But then again it’s been an emotional week too. In one of my Facebook forums we’ve had a very busy discussion about the memories we have kept since being kids and carried with us about our shape, weight and bodies.

For example like my swimming coach telling me I was fat when I was 13 and needed to lose weight to be a better swimmer. 5ft 10 and 10 stone…I wasn’t carrying excess.

Or a mother who’s had a letter home from school because her 5 year old is ‘overweight’ when he clearly and physically isn’t. This isn’t a protective mum saying he isn’t. He just isn’t.

And a client who overheard a relative refer to her as ‘fatty’ when she was 5 or 6 when they thought she couldn’t hear.

Anyway it’s got me thinking that something needs to change.

When did weight become the only indicator of how good a person you are?

From the day we are born that’s when. How often do we ask ‘how heavy was he?’ when a baby has been born?

What difference does it make really? He’s got to grow anyway!

We need to realise that we’re unique in shape and form and personality. That eating well and being active is the best way to be healthy in mind and healthy in body.

We must stop subjecting our children to thoughts of being fat when they are 5 or 6. That being the heaviest when you are the tallest in the class is pretty much inevitable and doesn’t mean that you are ‘bad’ or ‘fat’ or ‘a loser’.  And we need to show our young girls (especially) that the magazine images of women are generally manipulated and enhanced for marketing effect.

We need to show our children that it’s great to be active and outside and sweaty and dirty. That team sports and individual sports are all equal and enjoyable and good for you. Whatever your shape or size And we need to show them that there is something for everyone.

We may want to start being the best and happiest we can be.

So that our children can be the best and happiest they can be.

So their children could be the best and happiest they could be.

Because after all, what drives us to do what we do, whether it be for success, or appreciation, or recognition is because it makes us happy.

We just want to be happy — and being happy is a hell of a lot easier when we are healthy.

And being healthy is all we have. If we aren’t healthy we aren’t living. Ask any person without their health that.

Yes, Friday with Heidi is later than normal this week.

Yes, it’s a little bit ranty.

But this is important stuff. And it means a lot to me and the people I like to help.

Thank you for reading 🙂

To your very healthy weekend!