Improving Your Health Has Nothing to Do with Losing Weight

Mary Feamster
6 min readOct 9, 2024

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Ditch the scale and focus on other health markers.

For decades, mainstream health advice has equated being healthy with losing weight. We’re constantly bombarded with the message that a smaller body equals a healthier life. But what if improving your health has nothing to do with losing weight? Lets talk about why health and weight aren’t as tightly linked as we’ve been led to believe, and what to focus on instead of the scale.

It is very, very common for folks to start therapy with a very strong desire to heal their relationship with their body AND a conviction that losing weight is the only way to do so. Many of my clients have been told by other people in their lives or health professionals that they need to lose weight “for their health”. Nearly all of them have, at some point, internalized the message that they need to lose weight for their appearance. Folks come to therapy hating their body, feeling anxious about their overall health, and desperate for change. My message is this: let’s focus on more reliable markers of health, and let the scale go.

Health at Every Size (HAES): A Paradigm Shift

The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement challenges the idea that weight is a good measure of health. Instead, it advocates for a weight-neutral approach, emphasizing that people of all shapes and sizes can pursue health and well-being. HAES is based on three principles:

  1. Weight Inclusivity — Bodies of all sizes deserve respect and recognition. Health isn’t exclusive to people in smaller bodies.
  2. Health Enhancement — Focus on improving physical, emotional, and social well-being without an emphasis on weight loss.
  3. Respectful Care — Acknowledging and addressing biases in healthcare settings and promoting access to non-discriminatory care for all.

Research on HAES shows that health can improve without intentional weight loss. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that HAES participants experienced improvements in metabolic health, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and mental well-being without losing weight . Another study, published in Appetite, reported significant improvements in self-esteem and body satisfaction among HAES participants, further supporting the idea that health gains can occur independently of weight loss.

Intuitive Eating: A Healthy Relationship with Food

Intuitive Eating, developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, encourages a healthy relationship with food that’s free from the rules of diet culture. Intuitive Eating emphasizes listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues rather than following external diet rules. The ten core principles of Intuitive Eating include rejecting the diet mentality, honoring hunger, and respecting fullness. I believe in these principles so much that I became a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, studying under Evelyn Tribole herself, in 2023.

Research supports that people who practice Intuitive Eating experience a wide range of health benefits, including:

  • Improved mental health — Intuitive eaters tend to experience less anxiety, guilt, and preoccupation with food, as shown in a study published in Public Health Nutrition .
  • Better metabolic health — A study published in Obesity Reviews found that Intuitive Eating was associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and improved markers like cholesterol levels and blood pressure, independent of dieting or calorie restriction .
  • Healthier eating patterns — Another study, published in Eating Behaviors, found that Intuitive Eating is linked to more balanced, sustainable eating habits and a reduction in disordered eating behaviors .

Reliable Health Markers Beyond Weight

There are many health markers that reflect well-being, none of which require stepping on a scale. Some key non-weight-based health markers include:

  1. Blood Pressure — A healthy blood pressure reading is typically around 120/80 mm Hg or lower. Research shows that improving diet quality and staying physically active can positively impact blood pressure, regardless of weight. The American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of heart-healthy habits over weight loss for managing blood pressure .
  2. Cholesterol Levels — Healthy levels of cholesterol, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol), are important for heart health. Studies show that lifestyle changes like increasing fiber intake, reducing stress, and regular movement can significantly improve cholesterol levels. A study in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases demonstrated that dietary changes improve cholesterol regardless of weight change .
  3. Blood Sugar — Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is a marker of metabolic health. Research from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that increased physical activity and improved dietary patterns helped regulate blood sugar levels, even in participants who didn’t lose weight .
  4. Mental Health — Feeling mentally well is just as important as physical health. Emotional resilience, a sense of purpose, and regular stress management are key markers of well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of social connections, physical activity, and self-care as primary contributors to mental health, rather than weight .
  5. Fitness & Strength — Improved fitness levels, including strength, flexibility, and endurance, are reliable markers of physical health. The CDC indicates that cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength are better predictors of health outcomes (including reduced mortality risk) than BMI or weight .

Moving Beyond the Scale

When we focus solely on weight loss, we often miss out on the bigger picture of true health. Instead of pursuing a thinner body, we can focus on nourishing our bodies, managing stress, and cultivating meaningful relationships. Improving health isn’t about shrinking our bodies but rather enhancing our quality of life in a sustainable, compassionate way.

If we stop measuring health by the scale and start prioritizing overall well-being, we open the door to lasting, meaningful health changes that nurture our mind, body, and spirit.

Conclusion

True health has little to do with your body size. By embracing the principles of Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating, we can shift the focus from weight loss to actual well-being, building effective alliances with our bodies that truly support all aspects of health.There is still so, so much to unpack about privilege, fat bias, and diet culture in our society. Here’s the takeaway: Losing weight isn’t a health-promoting behavior. Let’s focus on more reliable markers of health, and let the scale go.

References

Bacon, L., & Aphramor, L. (2011). “Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift.” Nutrition Journal, 10, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-9.

Bacon, L., Stern, J. S., Van Loan, M. D., & Keim, N. L. (2005). “Size Acceptance and Intuitive Eating Improve Health for Obese, Female Chronic Dieters.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(6), 929–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.03.011.

Blissmer, B., & Bock, B. (2006). “Health at Every Size: Toward a New Paradigm of Weight and Health.” Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 38(2), 91–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2005.11.017.

Camilleri, G. M., Méjean, C., Bellisle, F., Andreeva, V. A., Kesse-Guyot, E., Hercberg, S., & Péneau, S. (2016). “Intuitive Eating Is Inversely Associated with Body Weight Status in the General Population-Based NutriNet-Santé Study.” Obesity Reviews, 17(5), 788–796. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12395.

Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). “Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 40(2), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8.

Katzmarzyk, P. T., Church, T. S., & Blair, S. N. (2004). “Cardiorespiratory Fitness Attenuates the Effects of the Metabolic Syndrome on All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Men.” Archives of Internal Medicine, 164(10), 1092–1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.164.10.1092.

Dollar E, Berman M, Adachi-Mejia AM. “Do No Harm: Moving Beyond Weight Loss to Emphasize Physical Activity at Every Size”. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017 Apr 20;14:E34. doi: 10.5888/pcd14.170006.

Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A.-M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). “Medicare’s Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer.” The American Psychologist, 62(3), 220–233. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.3.220.

Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach (4th ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Wadden, T. A., Neiberg, R. H., Wing, R. R., Clark, J. M., Delahanty, L. M., Hill, J. O., … & Look AHEAD Research Group. (2011). “Four-Year Weight Losses in the Look AHEAD Study: Factors Associated with Long-Term Success.” Obesity, 19(10), 1987–1998. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2011.230.

World Health Organization. (2014). “Mental Health: Strengthening Our Response.” World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response.

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Mary Feamster

Therapist, momma, lover of the outdoors. Here to talk openly about mental health.