“You look great, you have really taken care of yourself.” Usually we hear this compliment being given to someone who is thin and “looks good for their age.” But what about a person who does not meet societies ideal of a thin body? Does that mean they have not taken care of themselves or worse, that they have “let themselves go?” What does taking care of yourself really mean?

Neither the shape of your body, nor the youthfulness of your skin are reliable indicators if you are taking care of yourself. A person who eats healthfully and exercises for 30 minutes a day is doing what the need to do to take care of their bodies. They may or may not be thin. The weight of our bodies is not an indicator of overall health. Compare that to a thin person who is either not eating enough calories or is exercising excessively. They are not taking care of themselves. They are actually harming their bodies. Then, of course there are naturally thin people who eat well balanced and nutritional meals but just never seem to gain weight.

The woman who is content with aging naturally and embraces the lines and wrinkles in their face, who knows that her self worth is not determined by the smoothness of their skin, has she not taken care of herself? Is it better to have surgery to artificially recreate youth, to subject the body to the trauma of anesthesia and the surgeons scalpel?

There is nothing wrong with however one chooses to take care of themselves. If having a face lift makes a person feel better about themselves then that is great. It is their choice. On the other hand, let’s not be judgmental and disparaging to people who do not meet what society dictates as being desirable. Why should we consider one person “better” than another based on how they have chosen to care for their body?

Taking care of yourself should simply mean you do what is best for your mind, body and spirit. That means what is best for you, not what society says you should do to conform. We all want to be healthy. We all want to be happy and we all want to be loved. However you choose to pursue these goals is up to you. Take care of yourself. Discover what makes you feel great about being you and then do that. That is the best way to take care of you.