You know the phrase, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, you can’t judge a girl’s fitness level by her body size either. A lot of people assume that thin equals fit but they should change that way of thinking. Appearance is not always an indicator of health.

The slim girl that sits beside you in class could have high blood pressure. The star of the lacrosse team could have high cholesterol. Your favorite fashion model might not last 5 minutes on a soccer field.

Many times it’s hard to tell from the outside what’s going on inside. There are plenty of health problems that you can’t “see,” such as high cholesterol, poor physical conditioning, and diabetes. Lack of physical activity and poor eating habits are two major culprits and millions of teens suffer as a result - including our thin friends!

Some girls assume that because they are thin, that they don’t need to work out and eat right. While it’s true that being overweight tends to put you at greater risk for health problems, it’s important to remember that everyone needs to maintain a healthy balance of diet and exercise.