Dedrick Shabazz

If you are in New Jersey

I absolutely Love this

It’s time to ruffle some feathers. In the Black community, we have become so accustomed to glorifying being thick, having thick bodies, and even aspiring to weigh 200 pounds. Let’s call it what it is. At some point, we have to stop confusing excessive body fat with being thick. Why are we aspiring to weigh 200 pounds? Have we considered what carrying excessive body fat, particularly visceral fat surrounding our internal organs, does to the body? The strain it places on the cardiovascular system? The impact on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, liver function, and metabolic health? We are talking about increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and chronic inflammation. And before someone says, “I’m 200 pounds and I’m fit,” let’s look beyond appearances. What are your fasting insulin levels? What are your inflammatory markers? What are your ApoA and ApoB levels? Those markers can tell us much more about your metabolic and cardiovascular health than appearance alone. But let’s not forget the other side of this conversation: Being skinny doesn’t automatically mean you’re healthy either! A person can be thin and still have type 2 diabetes, hypertension, insulin resistance, and other metabolic complications. Excessive consumption of added sugars and refined starches can contribute to excess fat storage. Did you know that less than 5 grams of added sugar per day is best for overall health? That is about 1 teaspoon of sugar, but some people consume considerably more. When we consistently consume more sugary/ starchy food than our bodies need the excess is converted and stored as fat. And here’s what many people don’t realize: You can be skinny on the outside but carry significant visceral fat around your internal organs, particularly in the abdominal region. Your outward appearance doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s happening inside your body. Ultimately, this conversation goes beyond the number on the scale. It comes down to what we’re putting into our bodies, the quality of the foods we’re consuming, how often we are eating and how we’re nourishing ourselves. We’ve normalized excessive weight to the point that some women actually aspire to reach 200 pounds or more. We see women weighing 200, 300 pounds, and even children carrying excessive weight, being celebrated as examples to follow. Why? We have to stop glorifying excessive body fat and start prioritizing health. This isn’t about making people feel bad about their bodies. It’s about being honest about the consequences of unhealthy dietary patterns and metabolic dysfunction. We cannot continue fueling an unhealthy society and call it body positivity. We have to do better as a people. Our health depends on it.