The new year always brings a lot of weight loss resolutions with it. Weight is a driving factor in body satisfaction and many of us feel that if we can just lose a few pounds, we will be much happier with ourselves. Interestingly though, research points in a different direction. When we delve into the specifics of weight and body image we find that it isn’t necessarily being overweight that makes us so unhappy. It is focusing on weight that makes us unhappy. This is more than a pedantic nuance, it has potentially profound implications for the state of our health, both individually and as a society.
Weight And Body Image Is A Little More Complex Than It Seems
Psychology Today conducted a survey in 1972, 1985, and 1997 which produced some surprising data about exercise, weight loss, and body satisfaction. Firstly, they established that weight accounts for sixty percent of respondents’ feelings about their bodies, by far the largest phsycial factor affecting body image. Further, over half of women and forty percent of men reported exercising mostly for the purposes of losing weight. However, of those same respondents, eighty-eight percent of women and seventy-nine percent of men said they were dissatisfied with their appearance. In other words, the exercise being done was not translating into improved body satisfaction. Moreover, the survey noted that amongst those who said they didn’t exercise for the purpose of weight loss, only one third felt dissatisfied with their apperance—a stark contrast to the weight loss group.
What psychology today had noticed was that the reason that people exercise has a definite effect on the level of satisfaction that people have with their bodies. Those who focus on weight tend to be less satisfied than those who focus on other goals. Subsequent research has strengthened this conclusion.1, 2, 3 Essentially, when we look, we find that focusing on appearance, particularly with regards to weight, makes us significantly less happy about our bodies.
Shifting Your Focus Away From Weight Loss Can Help You Achieve More
As a personal trainer, I can report anecdotally that the insights revealed by the research on body satisfaction can be more than just academic. Understanding the negatives of focusing on weight and shifting to other priorities can actually translate into much better results in the gym. Here are a few examples of how:
Less Over-Exercising
The desire to lose weight pushes many people to over-exercise. Working out is a poor way to lose weight and when the results don’t materialize, many assume they aren’t doing enough. To fix the problem they may attempt to add days, add time, or add intensity, often in a perpetually escalating manner. The end result is usually burnout or an injury, both of which can derail exercise for weeks, months, or even indefinitely.
In contrast, those who design their workouts based on their physical abilities are much more likely to target reasonable, methodical changes over time. They emphasize getting a little bit stronger or going a little bit farther. With this mindset, it is easier to stay focused on making incremental improvements that, over time, translate into better health for the long term.
More Sustainable Nutrition Habits
When we want to lose weight, we usually want to do it quickly. That makes it tempting to try drastic nutrition changes. Some may cut out whole food groups like sugar, dairy, gluten, meat, flour, or some combination of all of them. Others may try extreme tactics like juice cleansing, various forms of fasting, or even carb and protein cycling. The problem here is that even if these strategies produce weight loss, they prove unsustainable. They just aren’t fun, and most people can’t take it for long.
A much more positive alternative is to eat for health and for feelings of well-being. When you add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, you often feel better. You have more energy, feel less bloated and heavy, and may even sleep better and think more clearly. These positive results encourage you to continue to eat that way as a lifestyle.
Less Stress And Negative Feelings
The constant struggle to lose weight is draining. It can truly be a source of never ending stress and negative feelings. Letting it go and focusing in on the other positive results that come from a more active, healthy lifestyle can feel like a real load off.
This Year, Move Away From Focusing On Weight Loss
The bottom line is that weight loss is a problematic goal in fitness. Not because it is difficult to achieve (which it is), but because the truth is that focusing on it does more to inhibit health than to boost it. However, with a little more perspective on the subject we can get our focus back to where it needs to be, on the business of improving our health.