We all feel the societal pressure for women to look a certain way, and that way is thin. Thin, however, doesn't always mean healthy, and according to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and iVillage, women value their appearance more than their health. In the poll, many women answered that they were unhappy with their appearance and were dieting, but few were eating the recommended five servings a day of fruits and veggies. On the exercise front, the median amount of weekly exercise was an hour and 20 minutes — well under the recommended two and a half hours of weekly exercise.
Chief of psychiatry at New York's Lennox Hill Hospital Molly Poag weighed in on the poll's results by saying, "There's an undervaluing of physical fitness and an overvaluing of absolute weight and appearance for women in our culture." She added that she believes female athletes are better role models for healthy living than supermodels.
I am curious about you and when it comes to your body . . .
James Darby
Balmain
Promod
both, but i guess i'll say appearance, because that's the visual proof that health is the way to go.
1i'm pretty healthy, so just the looks now.
2My health - I exercise and try to eat heathily for my health's sake. But if my appearance is improved meanwhile, that's a plus.
3I would be lying if I said health,every woman is judged by her appearance in today's society. Though it is important to me to be able to climb steps without getting winded and be able to lift heavy objects etc. - makes you feel strong and more able.
4I feel healthy and live a healthy life and eat well to fuel my workouts, but I'm more concerned with my appearance because I'm vain.
I also need that "looks like an athlete" affirmation. And to look cute.
5I am more concerned with my health. In my opinion if I am in shape and healthy that is all that matters. A positive side of being healthy is that one does look better. If had to choose a role model it would be female athletes. They look beautiful and have great healthy bodies. So many models look like skeletons it doesn't look good and certainly isn't healthy. I like to feel strong and like I can move a mountain and run a marathon. I do not want to worry about falling over in a breeze or breaking if someone hugs me too tight. I am in for the strength of what my body can do.
6this makes me sad. I am way more concerned with my health.
7Years ago, I would have said appearance; with age came wisdom. My answer now is definitely health.
8as a 20 year old, health is far from my mind. Not to say that I don't care about my health, but my appearance is my priority when it comes to fitness. Health is the added bonus, but it's not on my mind the way my appearance is. Accomplishment is also a goal for me with fitness; I feel more confident when I run faster or for longer.
9the girls who said "health" may be lying
10Appearance is still more my concern on a regular basis, especially since I feel like I'm pretty healthy and don't have to worry about it so much, but at the same time I started working out and eating right as much for my health as to lose a little weight.
11it's prob wrong to think like this - but i care more about my appearance. i know that overall i'm pretty healthy by what i eat and the fact that i work out but i care more that i look fit etc...
12I'd be lying if I didn't say apperance... I'm sure that with age my focus will be more on health. I eat well and exercise to be healthy but being healthy also means you get a great body so they go hand in hand
13I know this is going to sound somewhat ridiculous,and its kind of off topic but I wonder sometimes whether encouraging women to be super active is just as bad for women's body image issues as magazine images are.
I know that it is important to work out and get activity into your day because its healthy and good for you- but lets be realistic, unless youre on the Biggest Loser ranch, not many of us have time to train like an athlete
Sometimes I feel like something is wrong with me, or I feel like Im some kind of fitfailure because I hate going to the gym. I dont want to wake up at 5am to go to spin class everyday before work and there is no pair of jeans in the world that would make me want to lol
14I think they go hand in hand....if you keep healthy, you'll look good!
15This was a tough one. Looking good definently motivates me to work out and eat healthy, but I think overall, health top priority. If I was sick but gorgeous, my quality of life would suck, good looks would be worthless.
16Honestly, I have to say health in this case. My priorities are different, though. I don't really care what size I am or whether I look good in a bikini. My ultimate goals are to be a faster runner and to be a better rock climber. If I look better in the process, then right on.
17I'm surprised and saddened that appearance is winning.
).
18My priority is health, intelligence, emotional intelligence, then appearance. There's nothing wrong with looking average if you never get sick (and can outrun everyone
Appearace is number one but health is important too. I mean really, I'm overweight and can't fit in my clothes. So first things are to fit in those again. By focusing on that, I'll be focusing on health (b/c I want to do it the right way)
19gumdrops I admire your honesty.
20And, I'm on the same page as you
ayu, the question wasn't "what comes first: intellegance, maturity, looks or health"
21Appearance wins out for me, though I am certainly concerned about my health now and in the future. Improvement in my looks are what motivates me to eat healthfully and work out, and though it might not morally be the best motivator, it does the trick!
22Although I care about my appearance, I work out for my health. I'm a little off put by suggestions in the comments that those of us that chose health are lying. I lost my Dad to heart disease when I was in my teens and it's important to me to take care of myself so I can be around longer for my future kids. Looking better is just an added benefit but the thing that makes me actually go out and run is keeping my heart in good shape, not my legs.
23I've thought about this a lot, especially while I'm running-go figure-, and ultimately when I run I'm not thinking about how I'll look in a bikini, but I am thinking about how when I'm 80 years old, I hope I'm still active, whether that's walking or doing water aerobics (since at 80 I believe running possibly will be out of the question), I'm always hoping that health will continue to be my personal top priority.
So while appearance is definitely a "concern" ultimately I'd rather live to be really old and really healthy than stress about cellulite.
24Right now, I'm more concerned with my appearance because obviously I am overweight to the point where I can be considered obese, and I do need to lose a lot of weight. I think once I start getting to the point where I don't have to worry about my appearance so much because I'm becoming healthier, I'll focus more on my health.
25My health. I mean, thinking about bikinis gets my butt to the gym, obviously, but I'm more concerned about my physical condition when I'm older. That's my real motivator. If I'm not in good shape in my 20's, how do I expect to be fit and active when I'm 50?
26If "both" was an option I would've chosen that. I think if you're a healthy person than you are an attractive person, in my opinion.
27I'd love to say it was health, but I'm definitely more preoccupied with maintaining a certain size than I am with maintaining health. The good news is that my health benefits from all the exercise anyway even if that's not why I'm doing it.
28I'm going to say appearance....because right now my motivation is not to look fat.
29Ultimately it is about "appearing" healthy!
30I chose health but I now realize I lied. I *am* concerned with health for pretty much the same reason as Syako. I don't necessarily want to live longer... I want to live *healthier*.
However, the skin care products, make-up, pricey clothing I buy has nothing to do with health... sooooooo..... I may invest more in my appearance than I do my health.
31Both equally. It's important to me that I feel good and look good. One can have both. They're NOT mutually exclusive.
32I think I'd have to say both, but health is more important to me. Like goatimpact, I lost my grandpa to heart disease when I was younger and it really opened my eyes to how much better of a life he could have had if he had been more proactive about his health. So my primary focus is my health, but I also really like the added benefit of looking good as well. I think in most cases, if you focus on health, a good appearance is sort of a natural side-effect.
33I try to place the greater emphasis of my exercise on health, but I'd be lying if I said appearance wasn't a factor. I want to look good, but most importantly, I want to feel good, too.
34I want to die beautiful j/k
Honestly though, I am more concerned about my appearance. I'm not terribly unhealthy, but I definitely invest more time and money in vanity.
35For me, they go hand in hand. I only feel attractive when I'm being healthy (eating healthy food, being active, not drinking a lot). I picked health over appearance only because about a year ago I discovered that I have borderline high blood pressure, and now, I want to do what's right for my heart, and for my body, which matters a lot more to me than what I look like. The added bonus is of course, the healthier you are, the better you look.
36I recently improved my diet & exercise habits due to health reasons & quickly lost the ten pounds I'd put on since high school. I am thrilled with my appearance now, but I never would have gotten in better shape without the motivation of the health problem. Ten extra pounds didn't seem like a good enough reason to give up garlic bread and ice cream.
37Wow, it's really hard to admit that i am more concerned about my appearance! But it's the truth. Maybe admitting it is the first step?
38Although I am concerned about both of these issues, health comes first. When I was in my twenties and thirties, appearance was definitely #1. But now into my 40's I am highly concerned with my health as my mom has cancer and it terrifies me to no end. There is so much cancer and diseases these days, that I cannot help but try to eat healthy, stay active and go to the doctor alot.
39I'm with a few other people here and wish I could have chosen both... I ended up choosing health because I am asthmatic and I've noticed since I put on about 30 lbs in the last 5 years my asthma has gotten progressively worse. Not to mention that this 30 lbs does a number on my self confidence/image, which triggers my depression, which triggers insomnia for me, both very unhealthy things. I've never wanted to be rail thin, and even being overweight now I still wear bikinis (what other people think is THEIR problem, not mine). I like my curves... But as I get heavier they disappear! It's also awesome to be able to ride 20 (or more) miles in a day and still be up for a BBQ that night!
I also worry about the state of my health before I decide to have kids. The last thing I want is to be an unhealthy/inactive mom... I remember doing so many things with my active mom, and many of my friends didn't have those experiences because their moms were unhealthy. And guess what? They ended up being unhealthy people too! So I worry about solidifying good habits now so I can pass them on. Being gorgeous is just a great side effect.
40I know health wise I am pretty okay and do a good job of keeping myself in check. If anything I am more considered about my looks as I get older, pre mature wrinkles, eeeeeeeeeek!
41I am concerned about both. I voted health though, because when you're healthy you often look the best.
42I work out as much for my mental health as for my physical well being. Looking good gives me confidence and boosts my self esteem, so yes, my primary focus when I work out is appearance.
43I am concerned about both because I am currently undergoing treatments and I am also concerned with my appearance as well because I do not want people to start screaming when they see me, LOL. So, I am currently working on both right now.
44I am concerned about the hard mad work it takes.
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