Real Health Has No Dress Size: Embracing the Diversity of the Female Body
Real Health Has No Dress Size: Embracing the Diversity of the Female Body
Imagine trying to squeeze every flower in a garden into the same-sized vase. The rose, the sunflower, the orchid, each has its own beauty, purpose, and needs. Now imagine doing the same to the female body. That’s what much of modern culture asks of us to all fit one narrow definition of beauty, and by association, health. But here’s the truth: a healthy female body doesn’t come in one shape, weight, or size.
Health Is Not a Number on the Scale
We’ve been conditioned to believe that smaller is better and thinner means healthier. But that simply isn’t supported by the evidence. In fact, research shows that health outcomes are far more closely linked to behaviours such as what you eat, how you move, how well you sleep, and how you manage stress than to body size alone【1】.
You can have a so-called “normal” BMI and still have insulin resistance, inflammation, or nutrient deficiencies. Equally, you can fall outside that range and be metabolically healthy【2】. Blood sugar balance, cholesterol ratios, inflammatory markers, and hormonal rhythms tell a far more accurate story than the number on the scale ever will.
Health is a system, not a size.
When Body Image Becomes a Health Distraction
Let’s pause for a moment and look at the emotional toll of chasing a body ideal that may never align with our genetic reality. For many women, the pursuit of thinness becomes a lifelong project one that overshadows real health behaviours. Instead of focusing on building strength, resilience, gut health, or hormonal vitality, we’re taught to micromanage meals, count calories, or punish ourselves with exercise.
The result? Burnout. Disordered eating. Chronic stress. And ironically, poorer health.
Obsessing over being overweight can disconnect us from what our bodies are trying to tell us: hunger cues, fatigue, cycle changes, and mood shifts. These are your body’s dashboard lights. When we override them in pursuit of a social ideal, we lose connection with our biology.
Cultural Body Types: There Is No Universal Ideal
Cultural ideals around body shape have shifted dramatically over time and continue to differ around the world. In Renaissance Europe, voluptuous figures were considered the epitome of beauty, symbolising fertility and wealth. In many African, Polynesian, and Indigenous cultures, fuller bodies have traditionally signalled health, prosperity, and vitality.
It’s only in recent decades, especially under Westernised, media-driven standards, that thinness has been elevated as the gold standard. And even this “ideal” keeps changing, the 1990s prized ultra-thinness, the 2010s idolised the hourglass fitness influencer. And now, we’re being sold a surgically sculpted aesthetic that few can achieve naturally.
Health does not follow fashion trends. And neither should your self-worth.
Body Fat and Hormones: More Than Storage
Let’s talk about fat, not as a foe, but as a fascinating, functional tissue. Women’s bodies are biologically designed to carry more fat than men’s. That’s not a flaw, it’s a feature.
Why? Because body fat is not just stored energy. It’s hormonally active. It produces leptin (which helps regulate hunger and metabolism), supports oestrogen levels, and plays a role in immune function【3】.
This means fat isn't a passive filler; it's part of the body’s hormone communication network. Your fat cells literally talk to your brain, ovaries, and immune system.
Fat and Fertility: The Fertile Ground
A minimum threshold of body fat is essential for fertility. Too little, and the body gets the message: “This environment is too scarce to support a baby.” Periods may stop, ovulation ceases, and hormones like oestrogen and progesterone plummet. This is why overly lean athletes or women recovering from restrictive eating patterns often experience hypothalamic amenorrhea and infertility【4】.
Think of your body like a garden if there isn’t enough nourishment in the soil, the flowers can’t bloom.
Fertility depends on a well fed system. Not over fed but not deprived either. Balance is the key.
Fat and Menopause: Nature’s Back-Up System
As women enter perimenopause and menopause, ovarian oestrogen production winds down. But body fat particularly subcutaneous fat becomes a secondary site of oestrogen synthesis【5】. It helps cushion the hormonal transition.
A woman with ultra low body fat post menopause may experience more severe symptoms, from hot flushes to brain fog and vaginal dryness, because her body lacks this gentle hormonal buffer【6】.
In menopause, fat doesn’t weigh you down it holds you up.
Having a slightly higher body fat percentage after 50 can be protective. It helps maintain bone density, skin elasticity, and cognitive health during the hormonal decline.
How Genetics Shape Your Body and Health
We are not all meant to be the same shape, just as we are not all the same shoe size or hair colour. Genetics play a significant role in determining body type, fat distribution, muscle mass, and metabolic rate【7】.
Some women are naturally curvier. Others carry muscle more easily. Some gain weight around the hips, others in the belly. Fighting your genes in pursuit of a cultural ideal is like trying to force a daisy to become a tulip.
Think of your genes like seeds. You can’t change the species, but you can change the soil, water, and sunlight to help it thrive.
This is where functional and naturopathic medicine shines helping you understand your unique genetic blueprint and how to support it with nutrition, lifestyle, and personalised health care.
True Health Looks and Feels Different for Every Woman
So, what does true health look like? It’s not about what you weigh, it’s about how you live, and how your body responds to that life. Here’s how we define it our clinic:
Signs of a Healthy Female Body
Clear, balanced skin
Regular, symptom-free menstrual cycles
Stable mood and energy
Restorative sleep
Digestive comfort
Strong immune resilience
Libido and sexual vitality
Emotional adaptability
Good stress recovery
Normal blood markers (insulin, thyroid, inflammatory markers)
You won’t find these in a clothing label or calorie tracker. But we can assess them and improve them with clinical insight, functional testing, and personalised care.
Body Image, Shame and Natural Health Support
True health starts with respect, not punishment. Respect leads to nourishment. It means eating because your body needs fuel, not because you’re following a rigid food rule. It means moving to feel strong and vibrant, not just to burn calories. It means sleeping enough, managing stress, and cultivating joy.
Your body is not a before and after photo. It’s your lifelong home.
And just like any home, when you look after it with love, it serves you better.
Let’s Shift the Focus: From Shrinking to Strengthening
Our approach doesn’t aim to shrink you. We aim to strengthen you, emotionally, metabolically, hormonally, and mentally. We believe:
Health is not a destination weight.
Health is not a look, it’s a feeling.
Health is not about control, it’s about connection.
What Really Defines Women’s Health?
Forget the tape measure and the bathroom scales. Instead, we help you assess health by looking at:
Mental clarity
Digestive health
Skin and hair quality
Libido and menstrual health
Sleep quality
Hormonal balance
Strength, stamina, and mood
Inflammation, blood sugar, thyroid function, and gut microbiome health
We conduct indepth functional testing with clinical interpretation by qualified practitioners, as health is personal, measurable, and visible in how you feel.
Let’s shift from chasing “skinny” to chasing vitality. From shrinking your body to celebrating it. From shame to stewardship.
Ready to Redefine Health for Yourself?
Whether you're navigating perimenopause, recovering from body image struggles, or simply seeking clarity on what’s going on under the surface, we’re here with science, support, and compassion.
Because a healthy body is one that’s loved, nourished, and thriving.
Kyile Cloney. BHSc. Complementary Medicine.
References
Matheson, E.M., King, D.E., Everett, C.J. (2012). Healthy lifestyle habits and mortality in overweight and obese individuals. J Am Board Fam Med, 25(1):9-15.
Kramer, C.K., Zinman, B., Retnakaran, R. (2013). Are metabolically healthy overweight and obesity benign conditions? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med, 159(11):758-769.
Kershaw, E.E., Flier, J.S. (2004). Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 89(6):2548-2556.
Gordon, C.M., Ackerman, K.E., Berga, S.L., et al. (2017). Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 102(5):1413-1439.
Simpson, E.R. (2003). Sources of estrogen and their importance. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol, 86(3-5):225-230.
Davis, S.R., Lambrinoudaki, I., Lumsden, M., et al. (2015). Menopause. Nat Rev Dis Primers, 1:15004.
Bouchard, C. (1995). Genetic influences on human body fatness. Can J Diabetes, 19(3):269-278.
Disclaimer:
This post is for general education only and is not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.