The Number on the Scale
The Number on the Scale
Did you know that a person who weighs 150 pounds is less than 57 pounds on Mars?
And on Venus, that person is about 136 pounds?
And on the Moon? Under 25 pounds.
How does that work? I don’t know anything other than something related to gravity or the sun.
My point is this: that person who weighs 150 pounds on Earth is the same, the same mass, the same overall composition of guts, bones, skin, muscle, and fat mass no matter where in the universe they may be.
What is different? Nothing other than coordinates in the universe.
I can hear it now: people will line up to go to Mars to weigh less, to change that number on the scale.
Why does the number on a scale bother people so much? Why do some people put a lot of value on that number?
Because they are acculturated to do so? Or do they believe their value is connected to it?
The number on the scale measures the mass of something or someone here on Earth.
But it means the world to so many people.
But this isn’t as important a number as people think it is.
What is an important number? That isn’t easy to quantify for everyone. It is dependent on the person.
One flight of stairs? A person’s ability to go up one, or more, flight stairs without being out of breath? Perhaps – especially if that person lives in a two-story home and needs to get up and down stairs every day.
The two blood pressure numbers? High blood pressure is essential to know. And one measure of health. Learn more about blood pressure risk factors.
Any of three ways to screen for diabetes? Whether it is hemoglobin A1C, fasting glucose test, or an oral glucose tolerance test, I encourage people to determine their risk for diabetes and get screened. If these numbers are good, then that is good news, right? Especially if there is a known risk. Learn more about diabetes risk and symptoms.
The four results when we have our cholesterol checked? These four numbers give us a good idea of heart disease risk from total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Learn more about blood cholesterol.
Ask yourself these five questions:
How do I feel? Really.
Am I exhausted or tired all the time? How am I sleeping?
Do I hurt? Knees, feet, back? Do I quickly get an upset stomach or heartburn?
Do I easily get out of breath? Or have difficulty breathing?
How am I eating? Really.
I know that was more than five, but you get the point.
Before considering the number on the scale, consider what is important—your overall health.
Weight is just a number.
Clothing size is just a number.
It is not a value of your worth. It does not define whether you are a good person, parent, or spouse. It does not determine if you are healthy.
