Don’t mention the F word - say TV medic and WeightWatchers
With 62.8% of adults in England overweight or obese and a recent WeightWatchers survey showing that 74% of UK residents think that weight is a taboo subject, it’s important that we start talking honestly, openly and supportively about weight, but what should you do if you fear a loved one is damaging their health by being overweight?
According to TV medic and WW advisor Dr. Helen Lawal, you should tread carefully, because judgement and criticism will do more harm than good. Most importantly, you should never tell anyone they are ‘fat.’
Here are Dr. Helen’s tips on what you should do and say if you’re worried about a loved one’s weight:
Don’t assume they are unhealthy and/or unhappy because research shows that the correlation between weight and health is much less clear cut than thought and what's important to consider is physiological health - things like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, the heart, metabolic syndrome, how the body is functioning on the inside. We shouldn’t base our analysis simply on what we can see on the outside. It is possible to be of a certain weight and still be healthy and perfectly happy - you only have to look at someone like Lizzo who is fit and strong and out there being fabulous, to see that.
Be kind and supportive because weight and weight loss is a lot more complex than calories in and calories out (CICO) and often it's our relationship with food where we struggle. It is really normal to comfort eat when we are unhappy. Perhaps the person is stressed, chronically sleep deprived, suffers from low self-esteem, has been through a relationship breakdown or is feeling depressed. Rather than talk about their weight, ask them what’s going on in their life and offer to support them in other ways instead
Don’t call them fat. Another person’s body is not your business and if you call them ‘fat’ that is highly critical and judgemental and it won’t help. The WeightWatchers survey showed that 65% of people feel dissatisfied with their weight and 52% worry about it every week. In fact, most people would rather be open about their earnings, sex-lives and politics than talk about their weight freely. It doesn’t help that 59% feel that weight is talked about negatively. The person you are concerned about may have their own concerns about their health and weight and being blunt and saying they need to do something about it won’t help. Conversations about health should be much broader to include mental well-being, we have to move away from the weight-centric, fat shaming culture we have in the UK.
Cook from scratch more as it is one of the best positive habit changes you can make to support your health. It's a sure fire way to increase the nutrients in your diet, eat less processed food and be more in control of what you are consuming, incorporating more fruit and vegetables into home cooked recipes and cutting down on salt and sugar. Often, it can save money too.
Step away from the scales because it is only a very small part of the picture. We need to shift conversations around weight so they focus on how we can develop healthier habits, whatever your size - a thin person can have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels too. Good nutrition is important for everyone, so is getting enough sleep, physical activity, emotional support and most importantly keeping a positive mindset. The worst thing people can do is look for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss - which is too often no fix at all. We know that short-term weight loss solutions might sound appealing, but they rarely work and can deprive us of the vital nutrients we need for our body to function optimally.
The survey results:
The WW survey showed that over half of women are reluctant to talk openly about weight, (57%), even though over half (60%) of 35-44 year olds and 53% of 45-54 year olds are more likely to worry about their weight at least once a week.
When they do choose to open up about the topic, over a third of women prefer to speak to a medical professional (43%), with 41% of men rather discussing weight with their partner.
Furthermore, when both men and women talk to others about their weight, almost a third (31%) feel the need to justify changes in their weight, with a further 28% feeling the need to explain their weight loss to others.
When men and women talk to others about, almost a third (31%) feel they need to justify any changes in their weight, with a further 28% feeling the need to explain their weight loss to others.
Conversation starts at home
Social media and celebrities are often blamed for negative ass
Lawal also said that the criticism health minister Therese Coffey has received for smoking and being overweight is unfair. She says: “Rather than judge her, we should be considering how stressful her job is and showing support. We all have ways in which we cope with stress and emotions and developing health-based coping mechanisms isn’t always easy. “
As an advisor to WeightWatchers, Lawal stresses that people often find talking openly about their weight difficult. The organisation’s survey revealed that almost half (46%) of UK residents think that weight is a taboo topic and even though 65% are dissatisfied with their weight, with 52% worrying about it at least once a week, discussing it is so difficult, a quarter would rather confide in strangers online than a friend or family member.
In fact, most people would rather be open about their earnings, sex-lives, and politics than talk about their weight freely. It doesn’t help that 59% feel that weight is talked about negatively.
With 62.8% of adults in England overweight or obese, with the latter 3 times more at risk of developing diabetes* The research highlights the pressing need to talk more openly about healthy weight as just one of the critical health pillars, alongside mindset, activity, and nutrition that support health and wellbeing.
“WeightWatchers recognises that weight is a complex issue and so much more than a number on a scale. We need to shift conversations around weight so they focus on how we can develop healthier habits, whatever your size. That means good nutrition, getting enough sleep, movement, emotional support, and most importantly keeping a positive mindset. The worst thing people can do is look for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss - which is too often no fix at all. We know that short-term weight loss solutions might sound appealing, but they rarely work.
“The best thing people can do if they want to get healthier is to focus on progress, not perfection. So, start simply - for example, cook from scratch. That way you are more conscious of what you are eating and the likelihood is, you’ll consume less sugar, salt, and saturated fats. Getting into some good shopping and cooking habits is also a nice way to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need without depriving or restricting yourself. And most importantly treating yourself with kindness, particularly when navigating setbacks - that’s critical to making any long-term weight loss journey positive, not punitive.
“If you are really worried about somebody in your life and think their weight could be an issue, try and remember that unhealthy habits are a symptom of something else - the person might be stressed, bored, have had a bereavement or a relationship breakdown, perhaps they are working too hard or have a depressive disorder. Many of us turn to food to cope with life, it is completely normal and is just a sign that something is not right.”
The WW survey showed that over half of women are reluctant to talk openly about weight, (57%), even though over half (60%) of 35-44-year-olds and 53% of 45-54-year-olds are more likely to worry about their weight at least once a week.
When they do choose to open up about the topic, over a third of women prefer to speak to a medical professional (43%), with 41% of men rather discussing weight with their partner.
Furthermore, when both men and women talk to others about their weight, almost a third (31%) feel the need to justify changes in their weight, with a further 28% feeling the need to explain their weight loss to others.
“Your body is your business,” says Lawal. “If you see somebody who is drinking, smoking, or eating too much, you know they have struggles and that is their way of coping, so offer only kindness and support. As a doctor, I prefer to have lifestyle conversations with patients. If somebody is clearly unwell and unhappy, I give them the opportunity to talk about weight if they want to.
“New research shows that the correlation between weight and health is much less clear cut than we thought and what we need to be looking at is physiological health - things like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, the heart - how the body is functioning. We shouldn’t base our analysis simply on what we can see on the outside. It is possible to be fat and healthy.”
The conversation starts at home
Social media and celebrities are often blamed for negative associations around weight, but the research highlighted that the problem is closer to home, with family, friends, and parents (46%) having a negative impact on feelings about weight.
Lorraine Kelly, WW Ambassador comments on the research
“As someone who is living proof that the WW science-backed approach works, I can relate to those who feel the need to justify their reasons for wanting to lose weight. I’ve certainly found myself playing down my achievements when in fact I’m really proud of my reaching my goals - which have extended way beyond what's on the scales. In fact, it’s those non-scale victories that have made the real difference to me - whether that's improved sleep, nutrition, more energy, or feeling more body positive - these are the real wins for my health and wellbeing.”