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In 2021, the market research company Statista estimated that 48% of Americans had resolved to lose weight. But in the summer of 2021, it was clear that some of those people had not met their resolution. Many people spent less time exercising and more time sitting in front of a computer screen. With the rising mental health crisis in the U.S., some depressed and anxious people gained weight.
The reality of Covid-19 weight gain is more complicated. Doctors in the U.S. reported that 39% of patients had gained weight during quarantine, but 35% of people had lost weight.
In general, Americans’ waistlines are not growing as large as the rumors claim.
Nonetheless, the “Covid-15 (lbs)” myth weighs heavier on customers as New Year approaches. The U.S. weight loss market earned a record-breaking 78 billion dollars in 2019. Those profits dropped 21% in 2020 during the pandemic. To attract new customers, gyms and weight loss companies across the country have posted advertisements with slogans like “lose your pandemic pounds.”
Losing weight may improve some people’s health, but the resolution can also perpetuate misunderstandings about fatness.
While people who are overweight or obese are statistically more likely to develop conditions like diabetes and joint pain, weight is not solely to blame. For example, fat people are often perceived as being lazy, clumsy, disgusting, and slow. These stigmas lead to bosses assuming that a fat interviewee will make an incompetent employee. In comparison to people who are thin or average in size, fat people receive more job rejections and make less money. With this income disparity, fat people may not have the money to invest in routine doctor visits, gym memberships, or healthier food options. These environmental factors, alongside a person’s weight, contribute to their overall health.
The Healthline article referenced above also quotes Sharon Zarabi, RD, who is the director of a bariatric care unit. Zarabi explains, “The real debate here is how do we define health? Is the vegetarian who has a BMI of 30, avoiding all saturated fats from meats and consuming a diet heavy in simple carbohydrates [and thus] reducing his risk of cardiac disease but increasing likelihood of elevated triglycerides and insulin, considered healthy?”
While weight does impact health, other facets play a key role in a person’s overall well-being. A fat person who exercises and eats well may have a better quality of life than a thin person who smokes cigarettes and routinely eats fast food.
“I think we need to redefine health and look at the overall person as a whole, taking into account fitness level, sleep patterns, joint pain, vitamin levels, breathing, strength, happiness, social connections,” Zarabi argues.
Many people share their New Year’s resolutions on social media, perhaps remembering viral success stories about one-year body transformations. But when you resolve to lose weight, you may set yourself up for disappointment. If you plan to eat healthier or exercise, you can set actionable goals. You can measure your progress by keeping track of what you eat or spending a set number of hours in the gym per week. But in many ways, “losing weight” is an ambiguous goal. If you have a history of family obesity or a thyroid condition, your body may be naturally predisposed to retaining weight. Even if you make major lifestyle changes, you may not lose as much weight as you had hoped.
According to the CDC, overweight people who diet and exercise can expect to lose one or two pounds a week. This slow progress can be discouraging to someone who has made weight loss their primary New Year’s resolution. Some people may result to dangerous methods to lose weight faster like drinking detox teas or disordered eating. While these strategies may result in temporary weight loss, they can cause serious injuries and complications.
The Cleveland Clinic reports that 64% of people who make New Year’s resolutions give up on their goal by February. If you try to lose weight without being mindful of larger lifestyle changes, you are more likely to gain back all of the weight that you lost.
Making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight may feel like you’re on your way to redeeming your body, but fatness isn’t a sin. Fat people deserve to enjoy 2022 without stigma. You and your doctor can chart a long-term fitness plan that may, in part, include weight loss as a way to improve your well-being. As you adopt new habits, you may gain many health benefits.
People who exercise regularly report feeling less chronic pain. Individuals who eat more fiber and protein may feel a boost in their energy levels. Alongside these other health benefits, you may also lose weight. But you don’t need to count your Hail Mary’s as you count your calories.
If you want to prioritize your wellness in the coming year, you don’t have to focus exclusively on weight loss. Consider these other potential resolutions that can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle without the pressure of changing your body size:
Avoid Fatphobia In Your New Year’s Resolutions
Losing weight is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. Before you resolve to lose weight in 2022, you may want to rethink your assumptions about body size and health.In 2021, the market research company Statista estimated that 48% of Americans had resolved to lose weight. But in the summer of 2021, it was clear that some of those people had not met their resolution. Many people spent less time exercising and more time sitting in front of a computer screen. With the rising mental health crisis in the U.S., some depressed and anxious people gained weight.
The reality of Covid-19 weight gain is more complicated. Doctors in the U.S. reported that 39% of patients had gained weight during quarantine, but 35% of people had lost weight.
In general, Americans’ waistlines are not growing as large as the rumors claim.
Nonetheless, the “Covid-15 (lbs)” myth weighs heavier on customers as New Year approaches. The U.S. weight loss market earned a record-breaking 78 billion dollars in 2019. Those profits dropped 21% in 2020 during the pandemic. To attract new customers, gyms and weight loss companies across the country have posted advertisements with slogans like “lose your pandemic pounds.”
Losing weight may improve some people’s health, but the resolution can also perpetuate misunderstandings about fatness.
Losing Weight Doesn’t Automatically Make You Healthier
Rebecca Scritchfield is a dietician, and she spoke to Healthlineabout some common stereotypes about BMI: “The dominant impression is that if you are the higher weight, you are unhealthy,” but this isn’t always the case. “Health is individual, and it depends on a number of factors for physical and emotional health; it is not weight dependent,” Scritchfield says.While people who are overweight or obese are statistically more likely to develop conditions like diabetes and joint pain, weight is not solely to blame. For example, fat people are often perceived as being lazy, clumsy, disgusting, and slow. These stigmas lead to bosses assuming that a fat interviewee will make an incompetent employee. In comparison to people who are thin or average in size, fat people receive more job rejections and make less money. With this income disparity, fat people may not have the money to invest in routine doctor visits, gym memberships, or healthier food options. These environmental factors, alongside a person’s weight, contribute to their overall health.
The Healthline article referenced above also quotes Sharon Zarabi, RD, who is the director of a bariatric care unit. Zarabi explains, “The real debate here is how do we define health? Is the vegetarian who has a BMI of 30, avoiding all saturated fats from meats and consuming a diet heavy in simple carbohydrates [and thus] reducing his risk of cardiac disease but increasing likelihood of elevated triglycerides and insulin, considered healthy?”
While weight does impact health, other facets play a key role in a person’s overall well-being. A fat person who exercises and eats well may have a better quality of life than a thin person who smokes cigarettes and routinely eats fast food.
“I think we need to redefine health and look at the overall person as a whole, taking into account fitness level, sleep patterns, joint pain, vitamin levels, breathing, strength, happiness, social connections,” Zarabi argues.
Losing Weight is More Than a New Year’s Resolution
If you aim to lose weight, it can be tempting to chase a number on a scale. You may measure your progress by how many pounds you’ve lost and how quickly you’ve shed the weight. But weight can be difficult to lose and keep off.Many people share their New Year’s resolutions on social media, perhaps remembering viral success stories about one-year body transformations. But when you resolve to lose weight, you may set yourself up for disappointment. If you plan to eat healthier or exercise, you can set actionable goals. You can measure your progress by keeping track of what you eat or spending a set number of hours in the gym per week. But in many ways, “losing weight” is an ambiguous goal. If you have a history of family obesity or a thyroid condition, your body may be naturally predisposed to retaining weight. Even if you make major lifestyle changes, you may not lose as much weight as you had hoped.
According to the CDC, overweight people who diet and exercise can expect to lose one or two pounds a week. This slow progress can be discouraging to someone who has made weight loss their primary New Year’s resolution. Some people may result to dangerous methods to lose weight faster like drinking detox teas or disordered eating. While these strategies may result in temporary weight loss, they can cause serious injuries and complications.
The Cleveland Clinic reports that 64% of people who make New Year’s resolutions give up on their goal by February. If you try to lose weight without being mindful of larger lifestyle changes, you are more likely to gain back all of the weight that you lost.
Body-Positive Ways to Improve Your Wellness
In an NPR article, a psychotherapist named Beth Bernstein points out that American culture doesn’t just value weight loss; it often demands it. Bernstein explains how weight loss shows like The Biggest Loser and My 600-Lb. Life can feel like “a tent revival — where contestants repent their former, miserable fat lives and only gain redemption once they've lost weight.”Making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight may feel like you’re on your way to redeeming your body, but fatness isn’t a sin. Fat people deserve to enjoy 2022 without stigma. You and your doctor can chart a long-term fitness plan that may, in part, include weight loss as a way to improve your well-being. As you adopt new habits, you may gain many health benefits.
People who exercise regularly report feeling less chronic pain. Individuals who eat more fiber and protein may feel a boost in their energy levels. Alongside these other health benefits, you may also lose weight. But you don’t need to count your Hail Mary’s as you count your calories.
If you want to prioritize your wellness in the coming year, you don’t have to focus exclusively on weight loss. Consider these other potential resolutions that can help you achieve a healthier lifestyle without the pressure of changing your body size:
- Eating a balanced diet
- Stopping smoking
- Exercising regularly
- Reducing stress
- Getting more sleep
- Meditating
- Interrupting your workday with short breaks to stretch and walk around
- Consulting with a counselor or therapist to build a mental health self-care routine
