Reality Check: Do You Need To Lose Weight To Be Healthy And Happy?
Different people have different goals in mind when they decide to try to “eat healthier” or become more physically active, and they have different challenges they may face along the way. Whatever your reasons, a more gradual, flexible and sustainable approach like we take in our Essentials of Healthy Eating course will be better for you in the long run than any crash diet or overly-restrictive approach.
One common thing people mention as a goal when we first talk about trying to eat better is weight loss. For some, it's just "a couple of pounds" and for others, it's pretty significant. The reasons behind wanting to lose weight may be to improve some health markers, to move better and feel less day-to-day aches and pains, to "look better naked" or for similar aesthetic reasons, or simply because of some preconceived notion of what they "should" weigh. Some of those reasons also feed into emotional and mental well-being, and can affect our self-confidence, self-image and happiness.
The truth is, most people don't NEED to lose weight to be healthier, and with the right mindset, they don't NEED to lose weight to be happier or more self-confident either.
Body Weight And Physical Health
You really can be “healthy at any size” when it comes to many of the common health markers like blood sugar, lipids / cholesterol and blood pressure. There are people of all shapes and sizes that enjoy great metabolic health, and there are also people with issues regardless of their body weight.
You can make significant improvements in nearly all health and fitness metrics through making better eating and lifestyle choices combined with regular physical activity, even if your weight on the scale doesn't change a single pound.
Put simply, if being healthier is your goal you DO NOT need to specifically chase weight loss as part of that pursuit.
That said, there IS some data that suggests being at either extreme end of the body weight spectrum can have some consequences.
With many illnesses / conditions, risk increases at either end of the spectrum, with individuals who are considered either underweight or overweight being at similar increased risk vs. the average, though much of this data is correlational (I.E. body weight specifically cannot be identified as the “cause” of these issues, only that higher or lower body weight is negatively associated with them).
Even issues of an orthopedic nature (I.E. dealing with the joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles throughout your body) can arise regardless of body weight. Thinking longer-term, fall and fracture risk in seniors tends to actually be highest in those who are considered underweight, though again there is higher associated risk at either end of the spectrum vs. the average.
In those who are considered underweight, this is usually associated with higher degrees of osteoporosis, while in those who are considered overweight it is often associated with poorer physical function. It’s worth noting that both of these risks can be mitigated through regular strength and mobility training, even in the absence of any change in body weight.
In terms of physical health then, your lowest risk is when you are somewhere kind of in the middle when it comes to body weight, rather than at either end of the spectrum. Again, though, that's mostly correlation, not causation.
If you make good nutrition and lifestyle choices and maintain a routine of regular physical activity, you can be physically healthy, regardless of body weight. A healthy body can be any size!
Body Weight And Mental Health
It is true that there are some significant biases, both conscious and unconscious, against those who are considered overweight in many cultures throughout the world, and the effects of those biases on an individual can create some real difficulties in life, damage their self-esteem and be a cause of significant unhappiness.
But you don’t need to be skinny (or not!) to be happy!
In fact, as in other areas, there is a notable uptick in the risk of unhappiness / dissatisfaction at both ends of the body weight spectrum. Issues of body dysmorphia (unreasonable dissatisfaction with one's physical appearance) can affect people of all shapes and sizes.
Whatever we may look like to others, we can often be our own harshest critics, picking on miniscule flaws that often only we can see. This can tend to be more prevalent in those at the ends of the body weight spectrum because they are unfailingly reminded of their “other-ness” by the behaviours and comments of the people around them, but even average Joes and Janes can be pretty mean to themselves about what they see in the mirror.
If you ever really speak with people who compete in bodybuilding or physique contests, or with models and others who seem to have that physical "perfection" on the outside, you will likely find, as I have, that they very often suffer from even worse anxiety and negative self-image than you or I over their appearance, and are desperately unhappy with their bodies. The pursuit of "physical perfection" really IS NOT the road to happiness.
While there are certainly societal biases that we, collectively, can all do better at changing, the main area where we can improve our own mental and emotional health as it relates to our body weight is within our own perceptions, and our own self-talk.
Learning to embrace and accept yourself as you are right now and being kind with your self-talk can go a very long way towards making you happier and more confident in being truly and authentically YOU, rather than trying to fit some mould that societal norms or social pressures put on you.
Finding that peace and acceptance is a crucial part of the process of becoming the healthiest, happiest YOU possible, and that journey absolutely DOES NOT have to include weight loss.
That said, with the recent rise in the culture of self-love and self-acceptance, I have personally struggled with the idea that if I DO want to change, that I am somehow a bad person for NOT being self-loving or self-accepting enough to be happy as I am.
At the extreme, some "self-love" gurus and groups absolutely demonize people for simply trying to eat better and be more physically active, instead of celebrating the act of true self-love and self-care that giving your physical body the things it needs to truly thrive really is.
The truth of the matter is that you absolutely can love your present self, and still want to change.
There is nothing wrong with trying to be more physically active or eat better and see where that takes you. You are not a narcissist for wanting to be the "best" version of yourself, not just physically but emotionally, intellectually and socially - we as humans are built to strive and reach for more.
But first, be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
What I Recommend For Most People
Unless there is a specific reason that someone has to achieve a certain body weight, like for example to meet physical standards for their career, to compete at a certain weight class in a sport, or to be able to participate in activities for which there is a weight restriction due to safety, I do not generally recommend making a specific amount or rate of weight loss a goal for most people.
Instead, I encourage people to work through the process, embrace and internalize the practices and habits, and see where your body ends up as a natural consequence. This is how you find the "sweet spot" for your body and your lifestyle - where you are healthiest and happiest, without stress and anxiety over numbers on a scale.
We talk about all this and more in our Essentials of Healthy Eating course (click here to contact me if you’re interested in learning more about it).
If you're still set on the idea of weight loss as a goal, that's totally OK too - we also cover that too.
Either way, the choice is yours to make! ;)