What "Thin" Actually Meant in Your 30s (Hint: It Wasn't Health) | Esther Blum

Why It Matters

The story underscores that youthful thinness can mask poor muscle and bone health, highlighting the need for balanced nutrition and strength training for long-term resilience as people age.

Summary

Comedian Esther Blum recalls being ‘thin’ in her 20s and 30s because of extreme workouts and low-calorie, unhealthy habits—bagels, coffee, diet soda, martinis and cigarettes—rather than good nutrition. She says long cardio sessions and inadequate eating left her under-muscled with lower bone density despite appearing slim. Now in midlife she no longer tolerates those behaviors, has gained muscle and bone mass, and views past habits as unsustainable. The anecdote reframes thinness as a misleading indicator of health when achieved through malnutrition and substance use.

Original Description

Bagels, Diet Coke, martinis, cigarettes, and 90 minutes of cardio four days a week. Esther Blum and Dr. Stephanie compare notes on what fitness looked like in their 20s and 30s — and why being lighter then didn't mean being healthier. Thin isn't the same as muscled. Lighter isn't the same as strong. And the game changes completely in midlife.

**P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:

Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife. https://drstephanieestima.com/newsletter

Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results. https://drstephanie.ca/lift