In her blog post “Can you disease-proof yourself?”, Carrie discusses healthism and judging a person’s health based only on their behavior or appearance.  Chasing impossible health ideals that are mostly appearance-based can be dangerous since some of those very fit models on magazine covers have eating disorders which can be fatal.

Four reasonable health habits that are not extreme:

• Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day
• Exercising at least three times weekly
• Only drinking alcohol in moderation
• And not smoking

She also reports that the nutritional and physical activities that will lead to longevity and good health may not produce the super-fit appearance of health and fitness magazine cover models.

Carrie asks the question, “What should you do instead?” “Go for a walk. Or take a salsa-dance class. Or do some yoga. Or find an indoor pool and go for a swim. Then repeat. And why not visit a farmers market?”

So go take a walk!