Health vs. Looks

[DirkPitt]

Recent studies show that being slightly overweight is healthier in the long run than being what society deems "fit". As for myself, I was borderline anorexic these past two months to kill off a lot of fat just to look good. I know it was very bad for my health, however I look better than I ever have. Which takes precedent in your list of priorities, how you look, or how healthy you are?

(By Health, I mean long run. I don't mean the use of steroids which hurt not only the long run, but the short term as well...)

 

[DirkPitt]

Any reasons or justifications for the votes?

Mine would be that it is damn near impossible for one to live a successful and happy life in our image-conscious society so its worth it. Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse right?

 

[Double]

you have to keep in mind that you are on the DonJuan Fitness Forum, here aren't people that say i would rather live mediocre and a bit longer than a bit shorter but good looking and with lots of hot babes, feeling good, getting more respect etc. when you would have made this poll in a health forum with vegans and stuff then maybe the results would be equal/in favour of health. but i doubt that anyone here will seriously choose option1.

 

[Jay-X]

a "fit" body is always healthier than a slightly overweight one...

 

[check_mate_kid_uk]

I wouldnt use a tanning bed if thats what you mean. But for sport i would go past the optimum levle for good health, past the point where health peaks and any more you start getting weaker again.

 

[AbAbber2k]

The problem with studies like this are that, until you read them, you can't gauge their validity. What were their populations? How long was the study? These are important questions. Now, of course, if you're comparing anorexics to your average joe, OBVIOUSLY those who are "acceptably overweight" are going to win. But if you put fit, active people (runners, cyclists, basketball players... not sure about bodybuilders) up against them... I can't see any reason a "fit" individual would have a shorter lifespan. The benefits of being "active" are inumberable.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Originally posted by DirkPitt
Recent studies show that being slightly overweight is healthier in the long run than being what society deems "fit". As for myself, I was borderline anorexic these past two months to kill off a lot of fat just to look good. I know it was very bad for my health, however I look better than I ever have. Which takes precedent in your list of priorities, how you look, or how healthy you are?

(By Health, I mean long run. I don't mean the use of steroids which hurt not only the long run, but the short term as well...)

What studies have said this? What exactly denotes 'fit' in society? Normally, healthy people are more attractive by default.

 

[MrFitness880]

This is one recent and very controversial health study that has been said to be grossly misinterpreted by the general public according to most health authorities. I want to read this study but it is not conclusive by any means and this is the interpretation most people in the health community are warning the general public against.

 

[MindOverMatter]

first of all anorexic bodies are disgusting, on male or female. that's not "looking good". the male body is built for overcoming things, nature intended it to be strong & muscular, not frail and skinny or fat and greasy.

you can look good AND be healthy, all it takes is willpower and dedication. I eat 6 meals a day, and consume around 3500-4000 calories. my body gets all the nutrition it needs to function at 100%.

 

[Double]

do you still gain with this amount of calories or is it for maintaining?sounds pretty low considering you are 220lbs muscle. if you find the time can you post your meal plan/the meals you eat, that would be very interesting?

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
first of all anorexic bodies are disgusting, on male or female. that's not "looking good".

See, this is what people generally think. If you aren't obese, you are anoresxic by default. No one has ever said that being that thin is healthy, it's an extreme just like being obese. Unfortunately, it seems that it's the overweight people that write reports that infers that rail thin models are the normal depiction of thin people.

Being healthy just needs balance between food, exercise, and self esteem. More times than not, people that genuinely feels good about themselves do not overindulge in any aspect of their lives.

 

[Alpine]

Now ask me again when I'm sixty.

 

[Visceral]

Anorexia is simply the wrong way to lose weight. Starving yourself puts your body under incredible stress, which causes your body to store fat to hold on to every Calorie that comes its way, as well as burning off muscle and bone (to reduce the amout of Calories required to keep you alive and functional).

At the same time, you have bodybuilders messing with their hormones (which is bad for all kinds of reasons), dehydrating themselves, and dropping their bodyfat down to dangerous levels. Also, moving all that muscle around can't be good for your heart, especially since these guys don't get much cardio benefit from weightlifting.

Neither is healthy and neither looks good.

No woman would be sexually attracted to skin and bones for obvious reasons ... as for the bodybuilder, believe it or not, I've heard that although women - especially older women - love muscle, they don't love that much of it; it's too weird for them.

That being said, it is possible to both look good and be healthy.
Play sports and/or lift weights
* Plenty of cardiovascular exercise
* Plenty of good food (amount appropriate for body mass and activity level, along with, but only if necessary, slight surplus for building muscle or slight deficit for losing fat)

Neither being healthy nor looking good should be so complicated and so demanding of your time, effort, and devotion that it becomes a chore and therefore ceases to be worth it to anyone who isn't obsessed.

 

[check_mate_kid_uk]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
first of all anorexic bodies are disgusting, on male or female. that's not "looking good". the male body is built for overcoming things, nature intended it to be strong & muscular, not frail and skinny or fat and greasy.

I just had a thought, people always debate what where people like 20,000 years ago, where they very strong like body builders or where they lean?

I just remembered, people went around in tribes! There could have been some fast lean people for hunting, and stronger people for eg lifint stuff.

It is also probable that people did not have extremly low body fat % because although you tihnk all that work they do they can burn calories, no they where not fat but they must have eaten all they could so they had fat stocks for times of shortage!

 

[Visceral]

Just look at the paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque ages, that's pretty much what both the average man and the average woman looked like for most of human history - bodybuilders without steroids.

First of all, the world was not as forgiving as it is today, so weak individuals rarely survived infancy. Second, few people were ever as malnourished as the stereotypical "gruel-eating peasant", and even those that were still spent 8-12 hours a day at hard labor, so they either died or built muscle anyway.

And that's just the peasants; the warriors, naturally the biggest guys available, as well as the highest and thus best fed class, were probably built like World's Strongest Man competitors, well over 6 feet tall and around 300 pounds, with strength to match.

A diet based mostly on grains - pure carbs, no protein - as well as the softening effects of civilization and technology have taken a massive toll on the human body.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Originally posted by Double
do you still gain with this amount of calories or is it for maintaining?sounds pretty low considering you are 220lbs muscle. if you find the time can you post your meal plan/the meals you eat, that would be very interesting?

im actually at 210 lbs it will probably take me another year to add 10 lean pounds. but yeah yeah 3500-4000 cals is enough for me to still keep gaining. i don't have a meal plan anymroe since I got sick fo eating the same foods everyday, in the same order. I do eat about 5 meals a day, and 6 on my leg days.

the meals I eat are pretty basic: lots of eggs, lots of chicken breasts, salmon, steaks, sandwiches with chicken cold cuts/cheese etc, oatmeal, cottage cheese, whole wheat bread, rice, veggies, fruits (usually i eat a big fruit meal before my workouts), subway (when im too lazy to make meals), and I have 4 whey shakes a day.

one scoop when i wake up before breakfast.
one scoop before workout
two scoops after workout
one scoop with LOTS of milk before bed. the reason i drink lots of milk is because it contains the casein protein which acts slower and stays in your system for a long while. this way, my body has sufficient protein while im sleeping and I don't end up in a catabolic state.

my breakfasts are HUGE, my post workout meals are as well. most of my carbs come before 7pm. after that I tend to eat light and just maintain lots of protein in my system.

other supplements I use are:

zma
L-glutamine
multi-vits
flax seed oil.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Originally posted by Francisco d'Anconia
See, this is what people generally think. If you aren't obese, you are anoresxic by default. No one has ever said that being that thin is healthy, it's an extreme just like being obese. Unfortunately, it seems that it's the overweight people that write reports that infers that rail thin models are the normal depiction of thin people.

Being healthy just needs balance between food, exercise, and self esteem. More times than not, people that genuinely feels good about themselves do not overindulge in any aspect of their lives.

you misunderstand me. i was talking to the original poster who admitted to eating 400 calories a day. to me that's unhealthy.

I know being skinny is healthier then being fat. but i still think it's a disgusting look. im not saying all men should look like bodybuilders, but having you should have muscle on your frame. being all skinny like scott weiland (copy and paste:http://stppt.tripod.com/Weiland_sober.jpg) is a disgusting look.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

Uhh,

healthy look=attractive look

Or am I missing something?

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
you misunderstand me. i was talking to the original poster who admitted to eating 400 calories a day. to me that's unhealthy.

I know being skinny is healthier then being fat. but i still think it's a disgusting look. im not saying all men should look like bodybuilders, but having you should have muscle on your frame. being all skinny like scott weiland (copy and paste:http://stppt.tripod.com/Weiland_sober.jpg) is a disgusting look.

What I meant to say was that most people (not you) assume that they would have to go to an extreme which isn't healthy. It was like you said, anorexic bodies are less than pleasing however, to the anorexic, their self concept tell them otherwise.

Even beyond anorexics, I've seen so many overweight people that loose SO MUCH weight that their skin looks like an old, over sized mis-folded sweatshirt. Why does this happen? They loose so much fat without building any healthy muscle!

What I'm trying to say is that people should realize that it's not that everyone should be excessively thin, just fit which usually means that they are thin but also have an acceptable muscle mass and not look like the Crypt Keeper. It takes more work that people are willing to supply.

 

[CLOONEY]

Studies show one thing one day, and another the next!!

For anyone who has studied business statistics, you are well award that by changing questions, manipulating statistics, and sampling different ranges of people, you can absolutely make any study look how you want!!

Keep yourself fit and in shape, look healthy, eat healthy and you will be healthy!