With the ringing in of 2018 and the New Year comes a tradition that is practiced — or at least attempted– by many: New Year’s resolutions.

These resolutions are a fresh start during the new year and, essentially, a sign of turning over a new leaf in a particular aspect of a person’s life. These resolutions can range from “being a nicer person” to “running a marathon” to “incorporating recycling into daily life.” However, there is one particular resolution that seems to be the resolution to end all resolutions. The topic dominates advertising space on the television and internet leading up to the New Year. Different programs, pills, and exercise regimens promise to deliver Americans the New Year’s resolution they seek: better health. According to Nielsen, in 2015, 37 percent of Americans’ resolution was to “stay fit and healthy” while 32 percent wanted to “lose weight.”

While personal health and wellness are important and something that everyone should strive for, there are factors that are left out when it comes to an equation for a healthy individual. Ads tend to primarily focus on weight loss, promoting a “hot” and “slim” body and banishing “fat.”

It is no secret that Americans have a problem with weight. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Americans have a problem with healthy eating and exercise, so it is no surprise that many Americans’ New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight and be healthy.

The problem lies in the messages that Americans receive about what being “healthy” looks like. The problem is that health in America, specifically for women, is overwhelmingly based on appearance and not what is happening inside one’s body or mind. Being “healthy” is often sold as being skinny, losing weight and exercising. Most ads in the new year promote healthier eating and exercise, but only if it results in weight loss. Generally, Americans are being told that to be healthy, you must be skinny and fit.

This is just not the case.

Every person’s body is different. Some people are more naturally skinny, others are more naturally curvy. Some people have a hard time putting on weight and some have a hard time losing weight. Health is not defined by the number one sees on a scale, but rather by many different other factors. The myth that being healthy means that one is a certain size and weight is misleading and harmful. This idea negatively affects society, causing many people to have a skewed perception of health and beauty in the United States.

Another factor is greatly neglected when it comes to talking about a person’s wellbeing: mental health. Being healthy is not only about being physically fit but also mentally fit. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five Americans are affected by a mental health condition every year. Being unwell mentally can and often does lead to being unwell physically. Mental illness is often stigmatized, which means that the gravity of the issue is usually not noticed because it is not talked about. Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be focused on just as much, if not more, when accessing one’s health and wellbeing.

This New Year’s, let’s rethink how society defines “health” overall. When you make resolution to be fit and healthy, understand that there are many ways to be and look healthy. It’s not just a number on a scale. It’s how you eat, the way you exercise, how you interact with others and how you feel inside. It is so much more than a pants size or how many muscles you have. Health is as much about your wellbeing on the inside as it is on the outside. Figure out what healthy looks like for you: Make that your resolution.

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