10 things you can do right now

8/4/2019 10 Things You Can Do Right Now

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Right Now

W E L L N E S S C O U N C I L O F A M E R I C A S P E C I A L R E P O R T

To Ease Concerns About Your Weight And Improve Your HealthyJon Robison, PhD, MS

10 Tings You Can Do


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mailto:robisonj%40msu.edu?subject=Re%3A%20%2210%20Things%20You%20Can%20Do%20Right%20Now%22%20WELCOA%20Special%20Reporthttp://www.welcoa.org/


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1 0 T h i n g s Y o u C a n D o R i g h T n o w T O E A S E C O N C E R N S A b O U T Y O U R W E I g h T A N D I M P R O v E Y O U R h E A L T h

1 VE YuR TME & MEYDont spend another minute or another dime on anything(book, clinic, TV show, etc.) or anybody (doctor,dietitian, relative, etc.) that even remotely suggests it orthey will help you lose weight permanently.

Nothing in the health and medical elds has been provenmore soundl, than the fact that focusing on weight loss isunlikel to lead to permanent weight loss and more likel

to lead to weight ccling and weight gain. People who dietrepeatedl over the ears end up weighing more than thewould have if the had never dieted. Weight ccling canmake all the health problems weight loss supposedl helps(diabetes, hpertension, lipid abnormalities, etc.) worse.

NOTE:If ou are a health professional, read claims madeb weight loss researchers with great care. Te NationalInstitutes of Health sas 5 ears should be consideredlong-term success for weight loss programs. Anthing lessshould be viewed with suspicion. Just as importantl, besure to check how man people started in the stud andhow man peoples data were actuall used in the nal

analsis. It is not unusual for weight loss studies to claimas a success a relativel small amount of weight loss ina small subset of the people who began the stud. Tisis bad science at best.

2 JuT Y !Do not use (or let anyone else use) your weightor BMI or any other measurement of body sizeor composition as an indicator of health.

None of these has been shown to be stronglrelated to or predictive of health. People can be health

at a wide range of weights, BMIs, bod fat percentages,etc. Similarl, people with normal or optimal bodcomposition measurements can have the same health problemsthat are often referred to as weight-related.

WWW.WELCOA.ORg 2009 WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA 10 ThINgS YOU CAN DO RIghT NOW TO EASE CONCERNS AbOUT YOUR WEIghT AND IMPROvE YOUR hEALTh
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10 ThINgS YOU CAN DO RIghT NOW TO E ASE CONCERNS AbOUT YOUR WEIghT AND IMPROvE YOUR hEALTh 2009 WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA WWW.WELCOA.ORg

3K FR wERIf you have a health condition commonly consideredto be weight-related, (most likely candidates arehypertension, abnormal cholesterol, abnormal bloodglucose) and a health professional recommends weightloss as a solution, ask her/him the following questions:

1. What is the long-term success rate of the approach ouare suggesting? What is the likelihood I will regainthe weight I lose?

2. What is likel to happen to m health condition if Ilose the weight and then regain it.?

3. Is there an wa to treat this condition that does notinvolve a focus on weight loss? (How would ou treat athin person who had the same condition?)

Te answers given b our health professional to these

questions should look something like:1. Te success rate is no better than 5% and it is quite

likel that ou will gain back all of the weight that oulost and perhaps a bit more.

2. It is quite possible that our health issues (high bloodpressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, etc.) will getworse when ou regain the weight.

3. All of these conditions can be helped through lifestlechanges with little or no weight loss. (A Health-Centered Approach) Te best treatment for a fat personfor an of these conditions is the same treatment thatwould be recommended for a thin person. *

NOTE:If ou dont get something like these answers, considerseeking help elsewhere.

*For the Special Case of Diabetes, See Box on the Next Page

4uE YuR MgTIf you do not have a health condition but you are worriedthat you will develop one if you dont make some lifestylechanges to lose weight, try the following:

1. Imagine that ou are, right now, at the weight that ou

believe will be healthier.2. Work out a plan (with a health professional if desired)

of the kinds of lifestle changes ou think ou mightbe able to sustain to remain health at that weight.

3. Implement that plan, right now, at our current weight.

Be sure our plan does not include an tpe of externalldetermined caloric intake or food restriction, since thesehave been proven not to work for most people. Steps 5-8below refer to the kinds of changes that are most likel tohelp prevent and ameliorate these so-called weight-related

health conditions. Te will also help our bod to settlearound its natural (geneticall programmed) health weight.


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THE SPECIAL CASE OF TYPE II DIABETES

WWW.WELCOA.ORg 2009 WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA 10 ThINgS YOU CAN DO RIghT NOW TO E ASE CONCERNS AbOUT YOUR WEIghT AND IMPROvE YOUR hEALTh


intake and our weight i we pay attention to them. Ignoring

these internal signals b following endless sets of external ones(Weight Watchers, Jenn Craig, Te Food Pramid, etc) islikel to result in more rather than less disordered eating. Agrowing bod of research suggests that adults and children whodiet are more likel to gain extra weight as the get older thanthose who dont.

7 LTE T YuR TERL wDMLearn to eat according to your internal signals; appetite,hunger and satiety. By paying attention to these signals,

you can avoid having to pay someone else to tell you what

and how much to eat.NOTE:For some people, eating can become a stand-in for otherhungers that are not being satised. Tese ma be related to asearch for life balance, connection or meaning and purpose.Sometimes, there ma also be deep-seated struggles withdepression, anxiet and trauma that get plaed out with food. It iscritical that these underling issues be addressed. It is even morecritical that no matter how much of a problem food and weighthave become for an individual, with few exceptions, external foodrestriction will almost certainl cause more harm than good.

5CDER MVg YuR BDY

If you are relatively sedentary, consider nding ways tomove your body that feel good to you.

Te most up to date information on exercise is encouraging,especiall for people who have been sedentar and have haddicult tring to live up to the seemingl ever-changing,complicated and demanding exercise recommendations fromthe government and health establishment.

For the vast majorit of people, ftness is a much moreimportant indicator o health than atness:

1. Te greatest gains in health-related tness are achievedwhen people go from being sedentar to getting evensmall amounts of phsical activit.

2. Phsical activit does not have to be done all at once toachieve signicant health benets three 10-minuteperiods of exercise are as good as one 30-minute period.

3. All kinds of movement count, including walking,gardening, dancing, sports and running after our kids.

6DECLRE YuR DEPEDECE

Dont let anyone (thats right anyone!) tell you how toeat, what to eat or how much to eat to lose weight.

We all have wonderful, intricate mechanisms to help us toknow how much to eat to maintain a health weight. No set ofrules, guidelines or regulations experts can propose comes closeto the precision of the complex interactions among hunger,appetite and satiet that naturall help us regulate our food

Pysical actiity does not ae

to e done all at once to aciee

sinicant ealt enets tree

10-minute periods o exercise are

as ood as one 30-minute period.

1. Tere is no evidence that weight loss interventionswork for people with pe II Diabetes (most likelthe work even less well than for the general weight

loss- seeking population).

2. Losing weight and then gaining it back can cause bloodglucose problems to get worse. Since the vast majorit of

people will gain their weight back, this is a major concern.

3. Te good news is that research clearl demonstratesthat problems with blood glucose can be helpedgreatl b using A Health-Centered Approachwithout signicant weight loss and even in peoplewho gain bod fat during the course of the stud.

NOTE:Diabetes is a serious disease that causes great hardship and suering for those who have it. However, the idea that we arecurrentl experiencing an epidemic of diabetes has been oversold. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, during the1990s, when the explosion of overweight and obesit was said to occur, the most accurate data suggest onl a ver small increase inthe incidence of diabetes. Statements to the contrar are often based on phsicians anecdotal reports or large phone interviews, neitherof which can substitute for representative population data.

But Dr. Robison, dont we need to recommend weight loss for people with tpe II diabetes? Te answer to thisquestion is a resounding No! Here is wh:


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aboutJonRobison

10 ThINgS YOU CAN DO RIghT NOW TO E ASE CONCERNS AbOUT YOUR WEIghT AND IMPROvE YOUR hEALTh 2009 WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA WWW.WELCOA.ORg


8CDER DR. RBMPLFED DETRY guDELE

e original Four Food Groups were designed to help usto get the nutrition we need to grow and thrive. Over the

years e Dietary Guidelines for Americans have becometoo complex, too prescriptive and too focused on diseaseprevention and weight control.

Some people ma have a medical condition that requiresthem to eat or not eat particular foods. But, for mostpeople, the following guidelines can go a long wa towardsproviding a varied, nutritious diet while at the same timeminimizing the constant worr about everthing we putinto our mouths a seemingl ever-present stressor that isdecidedl unhealth! - Here the are:

1. Enjo Your Food

2. Eat A Wide Variet of Food

3. Pa Attention to Internal Signals Whenever You Can4. Share Your Food With Someone Who Is Need

Gratitude is Deepl Nourishing!

Bon Appetite!!

9TKE TCE F wT RELLY MTTERNotice any changes that occur over time with thisapproach Ask yourself:

1. What health-related changes have I seen?physiologically/psychologically

2. Do I feel dierentl about food?

3. Do I feel dierentl about mself?

4. Am I spending less time and energ worring aboutm weight and what I am eating?

Dr. Jonathan Robison holds a doctorate in health

education/exercisephysiologyandamasterofsciencein

humannutritionfromMichiganStateUniversitywhereheisassistant

professor.Dr.Robisonpresentsfrequentlyatnationalandinternational

conferencesandhasauthoredmanyarticlesonhealth-relatedtopics.

His book, The Spirit and Science of Holistic Health promotes shiftinghealth promotion away from its traditional, biomedical, control-

orientedfocus.Dr.Robisonhasbeenhelpingpeoplewithweightand

eating-relatedconcernsformorethan20years.

Dr.Robisonisavailableforspeakingengagementsonawidevariety

of health-related topics. He is also available to conduct intensive

trainingworkshopsforgroupsandorganizationsthatareinterestingin

learningaboutandimplementing The Health-Centered Approach.

Youcan learnmoreaboutDr.Robisonsworkbyvisitinghiswebsite

at www.jonrobison.net and he can be contacted via email at

[email protected] .

10CELEBRTEats Right! Congratulate yourself! If you follow thesesuggestions, it is very likely that you will:

1. End our time on the frustrating dieting rollercoaster.

2. Increase our self esteem and bod image.

3. ake charge of our eating b paing attention to ourbod instead of paing someone else to tell ou what todo.

4. Help our bod settle near the weight it is geneticallprogrammed to achieve.

5. Open up signicant amounts of time, energ andmone that ou used to spend worring about ourweight and food.

6. Ameliorate or normalize an of the so-called weight-related health conditions ou ma have had whether or

not ou experience an change in weight.

Final ThohtsBecause the concepts that thin equals health and weightloss equals better health are so deepl ingrained intothe fabric of our culture, after examining this dierentapproach people will often still ask this nal question:I I do all o this will I lose weight? Te answer to thisquestion goes straight to the heart of the dierence betweenthe Health-CenteredandWeight-Centered Approaches.Te answer is that, if people follow the suggestions outlined

here, there are three and onl three possibilities:1. Te will lose weight

2. Te will gain weight

3. Teir weight will not change

What is wonderful about this answer, unlike almost an otheranswer related to this topic, is that it is undeniabl scienticand unarguabl true. If people are above their naturalweight, the ma lose some weight. If people are below theirnatural weight, the ma gain. If people are close to theirnatural weight, the ma sta the same.Which one o these

outcomes will occur is oten not predictable. What ispredictable is that people will end up healthier and muchless concerned about their weight and their health.

All information Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) 2009.WELCOAprovidesworksitewellnessproducts,services,andinformationtothousands oforganizations nationwide.Formoreinformation, visit

www.welcoa.org .

Suggested Citation:Robison,J.(2009).10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Ease Concerns AboutYour Weight And Improve Your Health.WELCOAsWellness Council of America Special Report.


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REFERENCES FOR FRTHER READIN RELATED TO SESTIONS 110

1. ccess & afety f Dietin For weiht LossMillerWC. Fitness and Fatness in Relation to Health: Implications for a Paradigm Shift. JournalofSocialIssues;55(2):207-219.

MannT,TomiyamaJ,WestlingE,LewA,SamuelsB,ChatmanJ.Medicares Search for EectiveObesity Treatments. AmericanPsychologist2007;62(3):220-233.

MatzJudithandFrankelEllen.The Diet Survivors Handboo k: 60 Lessons in Eating, Self Acceptanceand SelfCare.SourcebooksInc,Naperville,Illinois,2006.

2. BM nd ealth

FranzosiMG.www.thelancet.com2006;368:624-625

WildmanRP,MunterP,ReynoldsK,McGinnAP,RajpathakS,Wylie-RosettJ,SowersMR.The Obese Without Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering and the Normal Weight WithCardiometabolic Risk Gactor Clustering. ArchInternMed2008;168(15):16171624.

3, 4. mprovin ealth withot weiht LossGaesser,G.A.(2002).Big fat lies: The truth about your weight and yourhealth.Carlsbad,California:GurzeBooks

CamposP.SaguyA,ErnsbergerP.OliverE.GaesserG.The epidemiologyof overweight and obesity; public health crisis or moral panic?InternationalJournalofEpidemiology2006;35(1):55-60

*The pecial Case f DiabetesBjorntorpPetal.The eect of physical training on insulin productivity inmen. MetabClinExp1970;19:631-638

LamarcheBetal. Is body fat loss a determinant factor in the improvement ofcarbohydrate and lipid metabolism following aerobic exercise training in obesewomen?MetabClinExp1992;41:1249-1256.

CentersforDiseaseControl,Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.9/5/2003;52(35):833-837.

5. Physical ctivity, weiht & ealthGaesserG. Fatness, Fitness, and Health: A Closer Look at the Evidence. WELCOA,AbsoluteAdvantage2006;5(3):18-21.

6,7. Eatin ccordin To nternal CesSatter,Ellyn. Secrets of Feeding A Healthy Family.KelcyPress,Madison,Wisconsin,2008.

Satter,Ellyn.Your Childs Weight: Helping Without Harming. KelcyPress,Madison,Wisconsin,2005.

8. Dietary gidelinesSatter,Ellyn. Dietary Guidelines and Food Guide Pyramid Incapacitate Consumers and contribute to

Distorted Eating Attitudes and Behaviors. www.ellynsatter.com/resources.jspMarantzPR,BirdED,AldermanMH.A Call for Higher Standards of Evidence for Dietary Guidelines.AmericanJournalofPreventiveMedicine2008;34(3):234-240.

9,10. Evalatin tcomesBacon,L.,Keim,N.L.,VanLoan,M.D.,Derricote,M.,Gale,B.,Kazaks,A.,Stern,J.S.(2002).Evaluating a non-diet wellness intervention for improvement of metabolic tness, psychologicalwell-being and eating and activity behaviors. InternationalJournalOfObesity,26,854-865.

Bacon,L.,Stern,J.S.,VanLoan,M.D.,Keim,N.L.(2005).Size acceptance and intuitive eatingimprove health for obese, female chronic dieters. JAmDietAssoc.,105(6),929936.
http://www.welcoa.org/http://www.thelancet.com/http://www.ellynsatter.com/resources.jsphttp://www.ellynsatter.com/resources.jsphttp://www.thelancet.com/http://www.welcoa.org/


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