There are so many misconceptions about people that are overweight or obese. It is not helped by a diet and beauty culture that shuns bodies that are bigger. There are literally thousands of methods, meal- and exercise plans and influencers claiming to have the answers to making you slimmer and more attractive. Many punish themselves by going on extreme diets that make all the promises about thinness and beauty only for you to regain the weight, plus more, down the line. It is a vicious circle that can take a toll on your mental well-being.
A common compliment is “have you lost weight? you look great”, clearly suggesting that the shedding of the weight has made you look better, reinforcing the culture of ‘thinner is more beautiful’. Of course, if you have really made an effort with diet and exercise, a compliment like that can be a real boost because, to an extent, we are all conditioned to believe in the unrealistic beauty ideals set by diet culture.
My personal journey with my body weight has been a long road. I have been overweight since childhood, and it really spiralled upwards in my 30s and onwards. My go-to-diet has always been Weight Watchers. I have lost a lot of weight on several occasions following their method. However, each and every time, I have not only regained the weight but always put on more.
This insightful YouTube video explains the ‘set point’ theory and why, despite huge efforts to lose weight, traditional ‘dieting’ fails.
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