Why is Weight Loss So Important?

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Our culture is obsessed with weight loss. (thanks, Captain Obvious.)

You know this, I know this. We’ve been myopically fixated on dropping the number we see on the scale for decades, and honestly whatever we’ve been doing isn’t working.

We use BMI (Body Mass Index) as our main marker for too much body fat, and therefore metabolic health.

Choose your statistic: Obesity in adults has doubled since 1980. Childhood obesity has increased from 5% in 1980 to 17% in 2008 (it’s even higher now). Metabolic Syndrome (a cluster of symptoms including insulin resistance and high blood pressure) increased by nearly 35% since 1988.

In the US, BMI has risen steadily by more than 1kg per year, and as of 2008 more than 9.8% of men and 13.8% of women are considered obese, compared to 4.8% and 7.9% in 1980.

Metabolic issues have been on the rise for decades, as well. Issues like insulin resistance, high blood pressure, heart disease, fatty liver disease and Type 2 Diabetes have all increased exponentially over the decades, and all are associated with excess weight.

BMI is not a great marker for metabolic health, but clearly, in most cases excess body fat is a signal of major metabolic dysfunction. 

This is all to say that maintaining a healthy weight is a good thing and is a big part of overall metabolic health.

But.

What is a “healthy weight”? And what does that weight (or BMI, or Waist to Hip Ratio) tell us about our overall health?

When we talk about “weight”, we’re talking about adipose tissue, or fat. No one who is 250 lbs of muscle is ever called “overweight”.

Here’s the thing: Having more fat tissue than the average person on certain parts of your body, like your butt, legs, back and arms doesn’t mean you’re metabolically unhealthy.

In fact, there is a certain percentage of people (10-30%) who have higher fat content on these body areas but otherwise have healthy metabolic markers including insulin resistance, inflammation, and respiratory fitness.

The opposite can be true, as well: You can be “Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside”, someone who keeps body fat percentages down, but who actually has a buildup of fat tissue around the internal organs, which leads to many metabolic diseases including fatty liver disease.

(Visceral fat, or fat around internal organs, is the kind you do not want. More on that in another post.)

Is losing weight still important?

To be honest, I think that’s the wrong question to ask.

Because if you are metabolically healthy, your body will be at the weight it is meant to be at.

The evidence is pretty clear that most Americans need to lose more than a few pounds.

But what that really tells me is that most Americans are not metabolically healthy, and are suffering from at least one chronic disease.

Weight (or body fat) is really the canary in the coal mine.

Fat loss is the happy side effect of getting yourself metabolically healthy.

Excess weight is not the problem, it’s a symptom, a signal that there is a problem with your metabolism, for most people.

So losing weight is important, but only in so much as getting yourself metabolically healthy is important.

Weight (or fat) loss is not the endgame on its own. It’s not something we should starve ourselves over, kill ourselves exercising too much over, or make ourselves miserable eating food we hate over.

Get yourself metabolically healthy, the weight that needs to come off, will come off.

How do I get metabolically healthy?

You’ve been here a while, you know the answer to this one, right?

Balancing your blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering inflammation keep your metabolism humming along the way it should.

Here are the basics:

• Eat a nutrient dense, whole-foods diet

• Maintain a consistent daily eating window

• Move your body every single day

• Drink plenty of water

• Get 6-9 hours of quality sleep

• Take time to destress

• Regularly connect with other humans

Y’all, this is the core of what my programs are all about. Flipping the script on weight loss and making it all about being your healthiest, most energized self. You may want to lose weight and that’s totally fine! But just remember, weight loss is a side effect of your body coming back into balance.

This sounds like something you want to work on, but you need help, right? That’s what I’m here for. To support you. To hold you accountable. To give you the tools you need to succeed.

I’ve got a spot in my 6-month 1-on-1 nutrition program with your name on it.

Just set up your free 15 minute consult with me today!

I can’t wait to hear from you.

Ready? Let’s go!