In this episode, we focus on weight loss — why dieting doesn't work and why focusing on weight loss is actually harmful. Studies show that dieting to lose weight does not work long-term: while initially people often lose weight, if we zoom out and look 2-5 years past the diet, 85-95% of the time people gain back all the weight and often even more. Listen in to find out what to focus on instead.
The healthcare industry also contributes to harm by focusing on weight. When we focus on weight rather than health, people are not treated as thoroughly and are stigmatized.
Ellen Maud Bennett’s obituary, where her final message is her experience of fat shaming by the healthcare industry, is highlighted. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?pid=189588876
In this article, Laura Fraser writes about her sister, Jan, whose symptoms were disregarded, likely due to weight bias while her cancer went undiagnosed: https://www.statnews.com/2017/08/15/cancer-diagnosis-weight-doctors/
These are our other noteworthy acknowledgements:
Great article by the Intuitive Eating founders, Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S, Fiaedp, FADA, FAND, about risk of increasing weight from dieting referencing the twin study:
Interesting article by Melissa Gerson, LCSW, on the conscientious objectors starvation experiment:
https://www.theprojectheal.org/healblog/impact-of-starvation-on-behavior
The New York Times article focused on the biggest loser study by Sandra Aamodt, a neuroscientist - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/why-you-cant-lose-weight-on-a-diet.html
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