Obesity Is Not A Disease - Impacts of Weight Cycling and Weight Stigma
Jul 14, 2023
The size of someone's body is not a disease.
Research is being conducted to study weight stigma, weight bias, fatphobia, and weight-based discrimination. Here's what we know: Correlation does NOT equal causation.
Example: Let's say you observe a statistically significant positive correlation between exercise and skin cancer. This may seem reliable if you notice the correlation show up across multiple people. However, upon further review you see this exists in your data set because people who live in sunny places are more likely to exercise outdoors. We know daily sun exposure causes skin cancer and that exercising outdoors increases sun exposure. However, we wouldn't say that exercise causes skin cancer.
Again, correlation does not equal causation.
Many studies support that weight cycling, typically occurring with chronic or yo-yo dieting, causes fluctuations in cardiovascular risk factors such as heart rate, sympathetic activity, blood pressure and circulating levels of glucose, insulin, and lipids. The repetitive and drastic loss and gain of weight have been implicated in an increased risk of eating disorders, psychological disorders, insulin resistance, and increased cardiac load. Maintaining stable weight is found to be more healthful for cardiovascular and renal systems.
We know that weight and body size is correlated to risk of disease. It does not cause disease. We know weight cycling and yo-yo dieting increases disease risk. Both are also #1 indicators of weight gain. Weight cycling and yo-yo dieting are the cause of higher risk of disease. Our culture blames body size. We know weight stigma and weight-based discrimination cause higher risk of disease.
Who is affected by weight stigma and weight-based discrimination? People in larger or fat bodies.
If body size caused disease, this would mean every person in a smaller body would be free of disease, and people in larger bodies would have all the diseases.mWe know that isn't reality. Correlation does NOT mean causation. Body size does not cause disease. The size of someone's body is not a disease.
Sources:
Rhee EJ. Weight Cycling and Its Cardiometabolic Impact. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2017;26(4):237-242. doi:10.7570/jomes.2017.26.4.237
Weight cycling is associated with adverse cardiometabolic markers in a cross-sectional representative US sample.
Strohacker K, Carpenter KC, McFarlin BK. Consequences of Weight Cycling: An Increase in Disease Risk?. Int J Exerc Sci. 2009;2(3):191-201.
Imagine if...
You TRUSTED your body and didn't feel guilty for skipping a workout
You STOPPED COMPARING yourself to others on social media or in your life
You have ENERGY to be present and enjoy life
Your constant and uncomfortable GI SYMPTOMS ARE GONE
You DON'T STRESS about food and feel pressured to diet
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