Diets and Weight Loss Plans: A 95% Failure Rate Long-Term!

Hola amigos! Welcome back!

This is a story that weight-loss programs do not want you to know. Tune in while David questions if weight loss is actually helping. Warning: if you are triggered from talks about obesity, BMI, or weight, please skip this episode.

Highlights of this episode:

Diet culture fails 95%
Red flags in weight-loss programs
Weight-inclusive health
What pausing can do

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Episode Description:

[3:20] Diet Culture Fails 95% of Us

Researchers used electronic medical records from various healthcare centers in UK. 278 thousand people, men and women, were selected based on their body mass index (BMI) categories of overweight, obese, morbid obese.
Some science suggests that a 5% reduction in body weight helps lessen the burden of disease in people with a chronic condition.
For this study, researchers compared individual’s weight data at progressive time markers, over ten years, or 9 years and 9 months.
Researchers noted that within a year, most people experienced weight loss. However, after 5 years, people experienced an increase in weight gain and some experienced weight loss.
After 10 years, 95% of the people. did not reach “normal” weight. The word “normal” is debatable. David points out that by this standard, 2/3 of Americans are not normal. Personal blame, or shame, on people for not being in this normal category is part of weight stigma.

[9:30] Failures from Diet Culture

In 9.9 months, people of the obesity study did not maintain their weight loss, they regained their weight or gained more weight than before.
Diet culture tells us to lose weight or else! Meredith, a shero from Episodes 108 and 109, came to David after trying many weights loss programs. Meredith thought David would know how to fix her weight problem.
Was weight the problem? Was weight loss the solution? No. Meredith had an attachment to her younger self. Diet industries prey on this vulnerability. Can we expect to reverse time? For some people, it does happen. 5% can sustain weight loss. So, is Meredith failing? The diet industry failed her.

[16:00] Red Flags in Diet Culture

Most weight-loss studies are 2 years long.
What is the full picture?
- People who weren’t involved in the study lost 2-3% of their weight. The weight loss group saw a 4% weight loss.
- People who lost weight still experienced mortality.
Recall episode 88, red flags of weight-loss research. If diets don’t work, something has to change.
David proposes trying a weight-inclusive lens of health, which includes intuitive eating.
Intuitive eating can teach us that we are not your thoughts or diet failures. Enjoying life at any size is important.

[18:45] Tips from a Shero

By dropping the diet mentality, Meredith, a shero found her individualized needs. By changing just one small thing in her life, the change allowed her to see more positive changes. David warns, this is NOT a “backdoor” to weight loss. It’s also not a quick process. Meredith saw improvements in her mood, energy, and sleep.
“Time invested now, time for the future.” This is a pearl of wisdom used in diet culture. David suggests that real consistency involves paying attention to our own day-to-day moments. Diet culture wants you to turn yourself off and put yourself in a plan. This promotes yo-yo weight cycling.
So, what is “One Small Bite”? It’s a small thing you can do that may have a big impact. David suggests pausing to pay attention.

[21: 30] Pausing and Observing

This daily practice opens a door and invites curiosity. A lack of awareness creates lack of ability.
On Instagram, David invites you to share what you observed when pausing? @orozconutrition

Link(s) from This Episode:

Obesity Research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26180980/

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