Many people struggle with their weight, here are some misperceptions about obesity and losing weight.
Recently I attended Your Weight Matters Conference. The speakers were obesity experts and full of great information presented in a way that was easy to listen to.
- Though there is strong scientific evidence that obesity is a disease. It appears that many have trouble accepting this fact, even in the medical community.
- Have you been told to lose weight then given no resources to help you do it?
- Have you lost weight but your health care provider didn’t notice and just told you to lose more?
- Were you so frustrated with your efforts that you just gave up?
- Have you tried and failed to lose weight and just told to try harder?
Many people think you can “will” your weight to be a certain level. They think weight loss is totally in their control. If you try harder you can make the excess fat go away. Many faced with this problem question themselves. “What’s wrong with me?” “I must be a failure.” It’s my fault.”
This is NOT TRUE.
Faulty thinking is prevalent in our society. It causes a lot of damage when we shame and blame ourselves and others. It hurts and needs to stop. There is bias, stigma, and discrimination associated with obesity, a disease easy to see. Unfortunately this stigma occurs even in some medical professional offices.
Obesity Action Coalition is making strides to end the bias and stigma associated with obesity. It helps people get the assistance they deserve. I attended their “Your Weight Matters” conference and want to help them get the message out.
Obesity is the most common chronic disease in the United States.
40% of adult Americans have obesity. That’s 1 in 6 Americans. Did you notice I didn’t say they ARE obese? It’s best not to label people by their disease. They are people with a disease. The same is true for diabetes. We’re getting away from calling people diabetics. It’s just not accurate.
Obesity is a complex disease which was recognized as such in 2013. Even after all of these years people still don’t know it’s a disease (probably because of the stigma). It’s a disease just like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Are you blamed and shamed for having high blood pressure and told to try harder? Probably not. You receive treatment to manage the disease. The same should be true for obesity.
According to Lee Kaplan, MD, PhD, Science tells us “the disease of obesity causes excess body fat. The body is making a mistake and wants the wrong amount of body fat (too much). Over eating doesn’t cause obesity, no matter what you’ve been told.”
Let that sink in.
Here are some more obesity facts:
- Obesity is defined as having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or greater. Find yours here.
- There are many kinds of obesity. The causes vary.
- Factors that contribute to obesity include genetics, hormones (insulin resistance is one), nutrition, environment, medication, and sleep.
- For most people “Eat less. Move more.” is not enough to fix the problem.
- Obesity should be treated. There are more treatment options than ever before.
Nutrition, physical activity, and sleep are the foundation to healthy living for all of us, regardless of weight.
We all should focus on eating healthy food and not too much, getting regular physical activity and adequate good quality sleep.
If you need to lose weight,know that it takes time. Successful weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. Everyone wants it to happen quicker!
Quick weight loss schemes are usually not sustainable and rarely work long term. It’s best to develop a healthy lifestyle that leads to weight loss that you can maintain over time. (It took my husband almost two years to reach his goal of losing 35 pounds…but he’s kept it off for over 10 years).
Healthy behavior change takes time and comes with many benefits other than weight—things like more energy and stamina.
- Obesity is a complex disease that you did not cause by overeating.
- There are treatment options available that you may not have heard of.
- Speak to your health care provider about treatment options. If you are not satisfied with the response, don’t give up. Providers that understand obesity can be found here.
- Lifestyle changes to eat right and move more are important but have limits. Know your limitations and pay attention to sound medical advice from knowledgeable professionals.
I didn’t know that obesity is a complex disease recognized by professionals. Recently, I spoke with my sister about how she’s been trying to lose weight ever since I can remember, and she doesn’t get the results she wants. I think my sister needs to read your article because she sounded very sad, and I’m worried she’s depressed, so I’ll email it right now. Thank you for the insight on identifying obesity as a treatable disease.
Thank you for sharing the article with your sister. There is help for her but most people don’t understand obesity. Thanks for the reply Eli!