By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
8 reasons why you shouldn't believe in this atrocious health lie
620037cd4759a79d314f7c0cbbf8486c973653baadafad2d968ca611af2ff9ba
Strong is NOT the new skinny. Saying it IS just kicks around the glass of a message that was completely broken to begin with. - photo by Neil Anderson
Neil Anderson
FamilyShare
Published: Feb 17, 2015, 2:54 PM

A lot of people are saying that "strong is the new skinny."

Look, I disagree. STRONG is NOT the new skinny. This statement is repulsive to me for many reasons. Trust me, I've been a personal trainer for 20 years. I've worked with thousands of people world-wide to help improve their health, fitness and lifestyle.

Here is my shortlist on why this phrase can be harmful to your health:

1. It assumes skinny is beautiful.

It's not. Beautiful is beautiful. Strong is just another kind of beautiful. So is skinny. Implying that beauty has anything to do with being skinny or strong shows a profound misunderstanding of what beautiful is. Beauty is a condition which transcends physical definition. It is truly in the eye of the beholder.

2. It assumes beauty has something to do with physical appearance.

What a broken notion. What a terrible message. I can't think of a better way to poison a mind. (Especially a young one.)

3. It undermines the content of it's own message.

I presume folks who say this new catch phrase are trying to point out that strong is beautiful too. They should have just left it at that. Saying, "STRONG is the NEW beautiful," is the same as saying skinny isn't anymore. What an ugly thing to say. This catch phrase has taken an unrealistic body image and has tried to replace it with another, equally unrealistic one.

4. It doesn't promote HEALTH at all.

Are the promoters of it unaware that folks will do equally unhealthy and terrible things to themselves (drugs, surgery, never ending preoccupation) in the pursuit of strength, as they do to become skinny?

5. The pursuit of strength is a black hole.

It has no end. How strong do I need to be before I am the "NEW SKINNY?" Is there a "too strong?" Is there a "not strong enough?"

I'm leery of who gets to decide what "strong" is. Seriously. Who classifies someone else as strong? Is there a committee? Is there a government agency voted upon by the people? Where is the vetting done? Who finances this? It presumes to rank people. Are stronger people more beautiful than those who are less strong?

6. Strength is an incomplete pursuit.

Strength alone doesn't address one's cardiovascular health, flexibility, or stamina. These are as different from one's strength as they are from each other. Each contributes to overall health. Focusing on any ONE of these to the exclusion of others undermines overall health.

7. Being strong speaks nothing of one's ability to move (walk, run, jump, throw, ride, swim).

You can't just assume that all good bench pressers are good swimmers. They aren't. So, how does being "strong" override the need to get outside and move around, learn new skills or develop abilities?

8. Strength when used in this phrase has NO actual purpose.

Think about it, skinny for skinny's sake never had any real purpose to begin with. It has always been a broken pursuit. It didn't make people more loved, more accomplished, or more worthy. It never made people better spouses, mothers, employers, employees, patriots, statesmen, caregivers, thinkers, humanitarians ... etc. Skinny was always just skinny. And so now we are to replace this condition with "STRONG?" For what purpose?

Strong is NOT the new skinny. Saying it IS just kicks around the glass of a message that was completely broken to begin with.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.