![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Balancing mental health and body positivity
“Each body comes with its own limitations and predilections; there cannot be standardized weights at which health begins and ends.”
August 29, 2016
The following are maxims I try to live by:
Strive to be healthy.
Love your body.
The medical health movement and the body positivity movement are two causes that I believe address a prevalent issue in society and are extraordinarily important. But the two movements seem to be often at odds and difficult to reconcile. I don’t think they have to be.
Health and body positivity, though intimately interconnected in our social consciousness, address completely disparate issues. The ideas that we should physically maintain our bodies to avoid disease and that we should love them no matter what are not irreconcilable.
The conflict emerges in the intersection between the health movement and fat shaming. Metrics like BMI oversimplify what it means to be healthy and focus disproportionately on weight.
Fat is not and should not be synonymous with unhealthiness. There is no one way to be physically healthy. Each body comes with its own limitations and predilections; there cannot be standardized weights at which health begins and ends. A myriad of factors contribute to physical health, including but not limited to blood pressure, bone density, cardiovascular strength and muscle development, etc. Calls to action for a healthier lifestyle apply to all of us, not just those perceived to be unhealthy because of their weight.
At the same time, a disregard for nutrition is not and should not be synonymous with body positivity. Self-love doesn’t preclude attention to scientific consensus on our physical needs.
Issues with physical and mental health are not unfamiliar to me. There are times when I binge eat emotionally. There are also times when I hate my body and diet obsessively. These behaviors are equally destructive. Denouncing one extreme should not mean embracing the other.
There is no shame in being physically unhealthy, just as there is no shame in not always loving your body. We are each works in progress; we forge forward and stumble often, but keep going. All any of us can do is strive to be healthy – both in body and state of mind.
For all their apparent differences, the health and body positivity movement have a common message: you only get one body.
You only get one body, so take care of it. Give it the nutrients it needs, exercise and hone it, and it will last longer.
But also, you only get one body, so love it. Your body is your home for the entirety of your life – it’s bumpy, it sometimes smells and it’s absolutely perfect because it’s yours.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on August 26, 2016.
