It seems like losing weight to make us healthier something we've just always known. I've had this belief for a long time and never really questioned it. However, when I was introduced to numerous studies that showed that intentional weight loss does not work for most people in the long term. There are so many dimensions to health that we cannot pin it down to on single factor like weight. And in fact, there is evidence to suggest that disordered eating and being underweight may be just as much, if not a greater risk to our health than being in a body deemed "too large" by our society.
It can be easy for weight to be the main focus because it's what we can physically see. However, there are so many other factors to health that we can't see. If a certain weight is the main gauge we use on health, we may use unhealthy or even dangerous methods to manipulate our bodies and also we may fail to focus on all the other things that can contribute to wellbeing.
It is also important to note that body size is not always an indicator of whether someone is healthy on the inside or not. There are people who live in smaller bodies who have very poor nutrition, unhealthy habits, and mental health issues. On the contrary, there are people who live in larger bodies who have great blood work, exercise regularly, and have great mental health.
We cannot use weight as the only indicator of health. So, how can we tell if we are "healthy" if we take weight out of the equation?
There are many internal factors we can look at instead. How do your bloodwork levels look when you go to the doctor? How does your body physically feel? Are you tired or do you have good energy? Or your muscles stiff or loose? Does your skin feel dry or moisturized? Can you focus on positive aspects of your life or are you constantly stressed and focusing on negative things? Do you enjoy moving your body or dread it?
(My husband and I enjoying moving our body on a kid-less hiking date recently.)
Based on the answers to those questions, if you feel like there is an issue, you can think about different behaviors you can use to address those things individually.
Think about how you can change your sleeping habits if you're feeling tired. Get curious about why you might be feeling a certain way. Are you drinking enough water? Are you moving your body in a way that feels good or makes it hurt more? What can you add to your diet that could have a positive impact on the way you would like to feel? Focusing on adding nurturing behaviors can have a significantly better impact than solely focusing on manipulating your weight.
Notice that I said "adding" versus "removing". It's a common trend for people to focus on what they can remove from their life in regards to what they eat to become healthier. And you can't blame them, it's a common practice in the wellness world to use elimination diets, rid you home of "toxic chemicals", and try to avoid even a single germ to enter our bodies. Unfortunately, this obsession with becoming "healthier" can be a slippery slope to disordered eating, living in fear, and mental health issues.
In conclusion, humans are complicated. You can't define health in a single aspect just as a person can't be summed up by a single trait. Get curious about where your thoughts and beliefs about weight came from. Think about whether what you are doing to care for yourself on a daily basis is contributing or detrimental to your health. Focusing on the daily behaviors to care for yourself versus setting a weight goal can have a significantly bigger impact on your overall well-being.
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