As I walked through the supermarket the other day, I noticed a shelf at the back of the store that was filled with clearance items. Reduced prices were written across the products with thick black marker.
With a quick glance I noticed an item labelled “paleo” and another labelled “ keto”. Remember when each method was the ‘final solution” to all our troubles around weight loss and perfect bodies? Well, apparently that didn’t work. So what might be the next great solution to weight loss and a perfect body?
A couple of newsletters back I shared with you my concern about the marketing of weight loss medications. I hope you thought about that, because in just the past few months there has been a steady concerted marketing effort underway to convince us that weight loss medications are the answer. In my opinion, they are not and if anything may be a harmful distraction from the real cause of weight issues.
Until as recently as a year ago, these weight loss medications were prescribed only for people with Type II diabetes who were obese and at risk for heart disease. Celebrities, ever pressured to keep their weight down, got wind of the drug and started taking it, and in short order calculated marketing campaigns normalized the idea of using these drugs to lose weight. .
Weight Watchers recently joined the bandwagon. They bought a company called Sequence through which they refer WW members to physicians who after screening a member may write a prescription for one of these new weight loss drugs. (Ozempic and Wegovy are two of them you may be familiar with.)
You can read more about these drugs, and my opinion of them on a previous post.
Setting the Wrong Priorities
Sadly, weight loss remains the central theme, rather than focusing on the whole person, their body type, their medical history, overall health, lifestyle and knowledge of nutrition. A narrow focus on weight loss and calorie intake overlooks the whole person and how support, education and behavioral change techniques might be the only road to lasting good health and appropriate weight outcome. Not everyone is supposed to be slim - we come in all shapes and sizes - but everyone has a right to be informed about exactly what healthy nutrition means and how to incorporate it into one’s daily life. They also have a right to be fully informed regarding the shortcomings of a quick fix method to weight loss.
The Cost to Self-Esteem
A focus on weight loss instead of overall healthy nutrition is harmful to self-esteem. Research has shown that there is little correlation between weight loss and feeling happier, yet those who are told they need to lose weight think they will be happier if only they are slim.
Get to the Real Solution
Your mind, body and emotions all rely on nutrients. What gets us in trouble with weight is an over-abundance of easily accessible processed foods. In addition to being highly processed, these foods contain additives and preservatives that strain the liver and gall bladder, can cause constipation and other digestive disorders. In this category I include restaurant food, grocery store takeout food, meal replacements, convenience store food. These foods are rich in calories and poor in nutrients. Gradually shifting your daily food intake to fresh home made foods will increase your nutrient intake and lower your intake of highly processed foods.
Weight loss drugs are just another quick fix distraction from the real issue of regular intake of nourishing foods that keep you healthy and balanced. Instead of solving a pervasive problem, they place a bandaid on it.
This article presents the opinions of the author and is not a substitute for medical care.