Why Having a Thigh Gap Doesn’t Mean You’re Healthier Than Someone Without One
It seems like everywhere you look (TV, the models on magazine covers, and women strutting down the street) have one bizarre, striking thing in common: a thigh gap. And chances are, you’ll begun to wonder if you should have one, too.
However, before you try to accomplish the impossible, take a mental note: a gap between your thighs does not equal a fit frame, or even more importantly, healthy body. Keep reading as to why you should mind the gap—and stay as far away from this ridiculous (not to mention unattainable) body trend altogether!
Gimme That Gap!
What has become the ‘attractive’ body type by the American culture standard is the thin (even skinny) type, which the majority of women don’t possess. This body type makes it difficult to gain muscle or fat. As a result, they naturally have a ‘gap’ between their thighs—but it’s not always by choice. If you’re born with this body type, it can be as difficult for you to gain weight as it is for an overweight person to lose weight. Unfortunately, many people who don’t have a hard time gaining weight want the gap. In an effort to get it, they put themselves on a strict diet and even stricter exercise plan, causing them to become over exhausted and in some cases, malnourished. If you have a mentality of ‘gimme that gap,’ here’s a few reasons why you should rethink it altogether:
It’s a thigh thing. If you have a longer tendon length (the lower, thickest part of your inner thigh) then it will be easier for you to achieve a thigh gap. If your tendon length is shorter, it will be a much greater challenge (no matter how restrictive your diet is, or how many hours at the gym a week you spend).- It’s a pelvic thing, too. As scientific evidence proves, certain pelvic angles can allow for a thigh gap to occur more easily than others. This means, that while you can change your body fat percentage, you can’t change the makeup of your skeleton. Try as you may, some women (even those with the same body fat percentage as women with a thigh gap) may never achieve the gap, themselves.
Instead of killing yourself to change your body, love your body—whether you achieve a thigh gap or not. Ask yourself: do my fitness/weight loss goals serve in my overall best interest? No matter whether you achieve a thigh gap or not, remember: your body is yours—so treat it kindly and respectfully. It is, after all, the only one you’ve got, so make it the healthiest one you can.
