Health Isn’t Everything
An Opinion Piece
“So what if you can’t fit into a size 6? There is nothing to be ashamed of! It’s fine as long as you’re healthy.”
“Money isn’t everything. Health is.”
“Does it matter if you’re still single? I mean, you’re still healthy and living the best time of your life.”
“The most important thing in life is to be happy and healthy.”
The above are examples of “positive” affirmations that people give to motivate, encourage and comfort others. Do you see what the problem is with all of these statements though? Why is health being used as a benchmark for happiness / value in life?
Let us analyse the statements one by one.
So it is fine to be plus-size (is “fat” an offensive word nowadays?), nothing shameful in that as long as he / she is healthy. Then, what about a chronically ill person? Is it fine to be suffering from chronic pain everyday? Is it shameful??
Money can’t buy you happiness and isn’t the most important thing but health is? What if you have a debilitating health condition? What then? Are you doomed to live a life of misery once you receive your diagnosis?
Being single is fantastic and A-OK as long as you’re healthy and enjoying life. What if you are bed ridden on most days…
