Weight loss myths are prominent because weight loss has become the biggest prize many people can imagine. Perhaps that's true for you. Does it seem as though you'll pursue weight loss at almost any price? If so, you may be more susceptible to the kinds of weight loss practices that are likely to leave you unhappier than when you started.
Maybe you've been disturbed by your body mass index (BMI) category -- that you fall into the "overweight" range or even the "obese" level. But are you aware that the correlation between BMI and health isn't as strong as most think it is? Recognizing this can lessen your urge to take drastic weight loss measures.
Keep the following weight loss myths in mind so that you can maintain perspective and improve your physical and emotional health (which may have nothing to do with your weight).
Myth: Weight Loss With Fad Diets Is Beneficial
Weight loss with a fad diet (or crash diet) may be easy in the short term, but it's unlikely to produce a solid, long-term, healthy change. If you're like most people, you'll find that it's very hard to stay with the plan and increase or maintain weight loss.
Why is it hard to continue weight loss with such a diet? The short answer is that we're human -- which is a good thing. We get tired of being deprived, and tired of having our freedom restricted. It's a reminder that variety and enjoyment are part of healthy eating. So it's not surprising that when the diet's novelty wears off, we wear out. We're supposed to wear out in such circumstances.
Further, the narrowness of some fad diets may limit nutrients our bodies need. Depending on the composition of the diet, this may have negative health consequences for you, offsetting any benefits that weight loss might offer (if you do indeed need to lose weight to reach a healthier range).
Need more evidence that the allure of fad diets is a weight loss myth? Consider how many there are. If we had found one that lived up to its own hype, we wouldn't be hearing about new ones every day.
Myth: Weight Loss Requires Drastic Reduction of Calories
Yes, weight loss requires burning more calories than you consume. But if you cut back drastically on your caloric intake, you may be working more toward weight gain than weight loss, because your body's metabolism will slow to a crawl. This will make your diet more discouraging, and you'll be more likely to binge eat in frustration.
Myth: Weight Loss Happens Faster by Skipping Meals
This is basically a corollary of the previous weight loss myth: Since you're not consuming calories when you miss a meal, it can seem logical that you'll lose more weight. But that often doesn't happen in practice. If you don't eat breakfast, for example, you'll likely have to respond to significantly greater hunger cues later in the day. You may eat a higher total number of calories in the day than you would have if you'd eaten breakfast.
Alternatives to Weight Loss
The biggest practice you may need to question is weight loss itself. The diet industry has a pretty poor track record. What's your goal? If it's just to look better, then ask yourself whether you feel shame about your appearance. If you do, think about where and when you began to feel shame. Does your doctor recommend that you lose weight? Exactly how much can you benefit? Getting an expert opinion can help put yours in perspective.
If you're pursuing weight loss because of what another person, or even many other people, have said or done to you, you're not experiencing freedom of choice. Could you choose not to diet (instead of saying that you're lazy because you're not dieting)?
If you can imagine living without dieting, you don't have to do it alone. You can explore the Health at Every Size view, which values health over weight. Or, read Intuitive Eating, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, for a way to respond better to hunger and fullness cues from your body.
If you're struggling with an eating disorder and can't imagine having connection with people outside of a pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia website, take a look at We Bite Back, organized for those who want to leave behind the toxic competition and live fuller lives.
Weight loss is not the key to enjoying your life; believing that it is represents the most prevalent weight loss myth out there. Living in freedom from shame about your body can get you much farther down the road.
Sources:
Weight-Control Information Network. Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths. At win.niddk.nih.gov. Accessed 28 May 2009.
