Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

To all those health insurance companies that want to charge people with high BMIs more money, maybe they should read this finding.

• Body Image Is Stronger Predictor Of Health Than Obesity, Says Study

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that the desire to weigh less was a more accurate predictor of physically and mentally unhealthy days, than body mass index (BMI).

It turns out that if you are unhappy with your weight and wish you weighed less, you tend to take more sick days and have more doctor visits than the people who are happy with their current weight. Whether you are content with your body weight is more of an indicator of health than your BMI.

What does this mean to you? Does that mean you should stop trying to eat healthy and keep up with an exercise regime? No. It just means that Inner Workouts are as essential as diet and exercise. This journey takes your MIND and your BODY on a roller coaster ride, so take care of yourself both physically and mentally.

Via: Rudd Sound Bites: Body Image as a Predictor of Health