Lately I’ve been reading a lot of empowering “curvy is beautiful” stories in the press and seeing TV segments devoted to why it’s healthy to have a “real woman’s body,” all of which is code for the “overweight is OK” movement. And you know what my reaction is? Why are we telling people—and women in particular!—stuff that simply isn’t true?The truth is, it isn’t OK to be overweight—even just 20 pounds overweight. And not just for the usual reasons everyone has heard before—that pudginess increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.
What you should know is that being “a real woman” or “curvy,” as some like to call it, makes it more likely that you’ll get lousy medical treatment. That’s right: You may have a harder time getting health insurance or you may have to pay higher premiums for having a not-so-flat belly. You’re also less likely to have cancer detected early—and if they do find cancer, you’re less likely to get the best treatment for the disease.
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