Normal vs. Healthy

The words normal and healthy are often linked when it comes to diet and exercise. These words are so linked that they are often used interchangeably without hesitation. Unfortunately, these words each represent something different, and equating the two ideas insinuates that what is normal must be healthy, and if something is not normal, it must be unhealthy. This is obviously false when looking at the rate of obesity and health problems in the U.S. today. It is not uncommon to hear that someone is obese or on countless medications, and yet people do not say that these things are healthy, despite the fact that they appear normal.

One of the greatest problems with defining either normal or healthy is that they are socially constructed ideas that often change. One could ask 100 people what each of these words means and receive 100 different ideas. Not only do individuals disagree on what these words mean, but research and science have been unable to come to a consensus either.

Probably the biggest reason that people cannot agree about these words is that they all have different priorities. Health may pertain to physical, social, spiritual, emotional, etc. Depending on what is important to a person, they may place health of one area as more important than another, but may also change their opinion over time. On the other hand, normal is constantly changing as society changes.

Unfortunately, the word abnormal has gotten a bad rap. In many cases, the word abnormal can actually be quite positive. For instance, look at the athletes who compete in the Olympics. These individuals are definitely not normal, they are extraordinary. This may mean that other parts of their lives get put on hold. To the average person, the lives of these athletes would appear extreme and unhealthy in many areas. Even with this knowledge, people do not believe this lifestyle to be negative, because the context makes is socially acceptable. People will often say something like, "of course these individuals sacrifice a great deal, but they are competing for a gold medal". This means that most people believe that sacrificing "health" is only ok when they believe the reward is worth the sacrifice.

To anyone who chooses to live an extreme lifestyle, they must believe that the reward is worth the sacrifices they make. This reward may not be apparent to the average person, but is definitely a large part of the individual's life. This is why I believe it is important not to judge others because their lifestyle is not "normal". Anyone choosing to live differently has a higher purpose in mind, just as those criticizing the individual have purpose for whatever lifestyle they choose to live.