Is it okay to be fat?

Being overweight is a condition that is visible and wrongly perceived to be controllable. Consequently, people who are stigmatized for being overweight become ashamed of themselves and this contributes to adverse psychological outcomes such as Binge Eating Disorder or Bulimia. The problem is that they fail to recognize that the prejudice and the discrimination they suffer from are actually responsible for making them feel this way. Indeed, the medical literature indicates that weight is in fact quite difficult to control and most attempts at losing weight are unsuccessful.

What exactly is weight stigma?

Weight stigma is defined by “bullying, teasing, negative body language, harsh comments, discrimination or prejudice based on a person’s body size or weight”. It reflects the assumptions that thin is always preferable, always possible and that thin people are better people. Weight discrimination occurs more frequently than gender or age discrimination.

What to do when you are medically required to lose weight?

It is important to shift from a weight focus to a health focus and to build body trust and awareness. Dieting is a symptom of eating disorders and therefore cannot be the cure. A review of over 40 studies shows that 95% of weight lost through dieting is regained. Between one-third and two-thirds of dieters regain more than they lose. A major drawback of dieting is weight cycling, also known as the “yo-yo effect”, which must be avoided at all costs as it has many adverse effects on health.

Society must learn to accept and respect the diversity of body shapes and sizes. Health and well-being are multi-dimensional, and they include physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects, which should all be promoted for people of all sizes. One should eat with the aim to balance individual nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure. Similarly, one shouldn’t exercise solely with a focus on weight loss, but should rather find an appropriate, enjoyable and life-enhancing physical activity.

Overweight people should recognize that they suffer more from the stigma than because of their actual body size. They should therefore focus on improving their mood and self-esteem through therapy. And when they feel better about themselves just the way they are, they’ll be able to limit their emotional eating and start controlling their weight.

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