Here ’ s the thing , though … all this focus on weight as a marker of health … how often do we actually hear about how to practically use it as a marker for health ? Or what other markers there are ? Or how we can get a more complete , holistic picture of our health ?
cluding changing how foods taste , specifically high-fat foods taste more desirable and is often craved more in dieting , because fat contains more calories than other macronutrients and your brain wants calories ). Your appetite also increases ( thanks to a reduction of leptin , peptide YY , and cholecystokinin - the hormones that help you feel full ) and these hormonal changes can be long lasting … up to a year after you ’ ve stopped dieting . All while this is happening , your muscle tissue decreases and fat tissue increases to help the body preserve energy ( since your body interprets your lack of energy / calorie consumption as a threat to survival , and doesn ’ t reasonably know when the famine will end ) and your metabolism slows . Your desire for movement also decreases .
So , there ’ s that .
And in theory , weight loss seems simple … just eat less and move more , right ? But , what happens when despite doing that , a person struggles to lose weight ( for whatever reason )?
Even though that person may be improving their health by enjoying movement and eating more fresh fruit and veg … because that number on the scale isn ’ t decreasing , they ’ re unlikely to be heralded as a success story . In fact , they ’ re likely to be viewed as “ not trying hard enough ” despite their health actually improving . In this , we start to see the hypocrisy of weight loss culture .
The shame that people feel for either not losing weight whilst trying to , or simply existing in a body deemed as ‘ one that should lose weight ’ is immense … and that shame is
truly damaging . Many dieters soon find that that shame then leads them into unhelpful coping mechanisms ( such as binge eating ) which may lead them to greater weight gain ( or immediate bloating perceived as weight gain ) which makes them feel worse .
Again , the cycle continues .
I ’ m sorry to depress everyone , but I fundamentally believe that it ’ s important for us all to know the science behind why diets don ’ t work . Because blindly believing that diets do work has been damaging and , in becoming conscious and educated consumers , we can ’ t
Here ’ s the thing , though … all this focus on weight as a marker of health … how often do we actually hear about how to practically use it as a marker for health ? Or what other markers there are ? Or how we can get a more complete , holistic picture of our health ?
simply shift our beliefs without first knowing why .
Femme Plus
An alternative theory to “ fat is bad , don ’ t be fat !” is Health At Every Size ( HAES ). HAES is not to suggest that every size is inherently healthy - but rather that healthful behaviours and health itself ( whatever that may look like at an individual level , depending on ability , resources and genetics ) is accessible to everyone , regardless of size .
Note , that whenever we refer to health as ‘ whatever it means to the individual ,’ this refers to the idea that not everyone is going to have the same definition of health , and that ’ s okay . Take , for example , an athlete . ‘ Health ’ to them may involve rigorous training , eating plans and specific goals .
A regular person , like a stay at home mother , might see ‘ health ’ as being able to play with her young children and run errands without feeling winded , or making sure that she eats plenty of nutrients .
Both of those individuals will have different energy needs , different lifestyles , different genetic factors . And ,
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