Just because you're plump doesn't mean you're automatically unhealthy

There is a thin line between embracing big beauty and booty - and body health. Being body positive also means embracing self-care, an expression of which is being healthy, despite your size. Sounds like an Oprah Winfrey-ism, and it is.

The media mogul, whose public battle with weight spans decades, said she recently invested in Weight Watchers as a business interest, after working out that the key to her good health and a comfortable weight was being comfortable in her body.

"The fullness of life, the fullness of being, the self-acceptance - I'd never done that before. I'd always beaten myself up because I was tied to a number," she said.

It's a model many body-positive thinkers have adopted.

RISK FACTORS

Sonal Ratan, dietician for Futurelife, said body size alone is "not a classification of health". "A larger person who is physically active may be at a lower risk for certain disease factors, compared to a smaller person who is not physically active. This does not mean that being underweight, overweight or obese is healthy if you are physically active. There are other metabolic risk factors that contribute to chronic disease - in addition to body size."

The worry is where the weight is, and how much of it there is. Clinically, a waist circumference upward of 88cm for women and 102cm for men, and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 30, is high risk for obesity-related illnesses.

While Ratan said it is also not safe to assume that an individual with a normal BMI is healthy, the location of the fat is important. "An individual with a normal BMI may have excess fat around their abdomen, which significantly increases health risks."

Early this year, researchers in the UK said BMI is changing as a measurement for health. Body volume indicator (BVI) measures the body volume, abdomen volume, waist-to-hip ratio, visceral fat and BMI. It then works out a BVI number.

"Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle will affect your overall health, regardless of your BMI. Focus on making the change first. Be consistent. Strive towards getting physically active and the numbers will fall into place," said Ratan.

STATE OF MIND

For Vani Pavadai, a spiritual life coach with the Art of Living organisation, the mind is a bigger factor in health than body size.

"In spirituality, the focus is on the connection between mind and body. Attention is given to the subtle aspects of mind and life force and not necessarily the shape and form of the body. Obviously the body needs to be cared for through proper diet and exercise, but a higher priority is given to the mind and body being level."

"Self-esteem, self-confidence, self-love function from the realm of one's state of mind, and not necessarily from the body level. In this regard meditation and diving into the deeper realms of the mind, learning how to recharge and energise the mind, can bring about a healthy mind.

"The mind impacts on the functioning of the body and this is why these two levels are deeply interconnected," says Pavadai, who teaches breathing techniques and yoga.

GENETICS PLAY A ROLE

Johannesburg-based dietician Clinton Bakasa, who works with sexual health and dietetics, said he was seeing many slimmer people with cholesterol and heart issues. It is one of the reasons he believes social media can be detrimental to body positivity.

"In the era we are living in today, an hour-glass figure is 'ideal' in the minds of most people. The ways to get to this body shape remain a problem. Genetics obviously play a huge role in the frame and body shape."

His guidelines for body confidence are healthy eating and moving around. "No matter what body size you have, if you follow this guideline you are going to improve your metabolism, your 'feel good' hormones will forever be at their best levels and you will feel healthier, happier and much lighter. A lack of confidence in the body is usually caused by the fact that people are not well-informed when it comes to what a healthy body realistically looks like."

Ratan said: "Studies show genetics may play a role in determining your body shape. Genetics are, however, not the only factor that affects physical attributes. You are in control of your own body and the lifestyle choices you make play a significant role. Even if you're genetically predisposed to a large bust line for example, you hold the power to ensure you're the healthiest and fittest you can be. It starts with changing your attitude about how you look at yourself.

"By altering your thought patterns into a positive outlook you will start the journey towards feeling better about who you are, the body you currently have and your personal goals. Counselling offers better understanding about why a person feels the way they do despite their actual body size."

HOW THE LANGUAGE OF DIETING HAS EVOLVED

Language is a mirror that we hold up to the world, and when the world changes, our language slowly changes to reflect this.

In 2015, Weight Watcher was compelled to drastically alter its marketing approach when it found that people no longer responded positively to the promise of thinness for thinness' sake.

The language of health has gradually replaced the language of dieting: Weight Watchers' website now promises to help you "score benefits that go beyond seeing a smaller number on the scale". - Paula Andropoulos