- A new scientific analysis takes a close look at effective weight loss strategies.
- The findings suggest that simply being told to lose weight may not be the best thing for some people’s weight loss goals.
- Here’s what doctors say can *actually* help when older tactics fail.
Recceiving the same old blanket advice from your doctor about tweaking your diet and moving more if you want to lose weigh can be pretty infuriating, especially if those maxims haven’t worked for you in the past. After all, weight is complicated—and most of us are already well aware of these principles.
Enter: A new scientific analysis published in BMJ that breaks down the importance of personalized weight loss strategies, arguing that these old school insights have the ability to help patients reach their weight goals—or make things worse.
In some situations, simply being told you need to lose weight may not actually be the healthiest path forward, the researchers argue. The paper raises some red flags in the way weight loss is typically approached at the doctor’s office right now, and urges healthcare providers to make a change. Here’s why that is, and what you should know.
Meet the experts: Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Juan Victor Ariel Franco, MD, lead study author and researcher at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
What did the study find?
The analysis looked at several previous studies on weight loss and weight loss interventions. The researchers found that while doctors usually recommend lifestyle changes to restrict calories and exercise more, these moves don’t always help with sustained weight loss or lower a person’s risk of cardiovascular issues or death.
Current recommendations can also lead to weight loss stigma, points out Juan Victor Ariel Franco, MD, lead study author and researcher at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. “When people with obesity or different types of bodies receive this advice, pursue it, and don’t get the results they expect, it generates a lot of frustration and could make them feel bad about themselves. People with higher weight have already tried several times in their life to lose weight,” he points out. “They have the expectation that following the doctor’s advice will lead to better outcomes, but that can lead to more frustration and self-esteem issues when it doesn’t.”
Why is weight loss not always “healthy” for someone?
After being told by a doctor to lose weight, some people may be driven to diet or exercise in a way that’s not healthy, Dr. Franco says.
These folks may also get frustrated if their doctor tells them that tweaking their diet or exercising more will lead to weight loss—especially when it doesn’t happen or the results aren’t sustained, says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. “When you reach a certain weight, your body becomes resistant to losing more weight,” Dr. Ali says. “I’ve seen patients get frustrated and say, ‘I’m only eating this much and I’m not losing weight. I’m trying to exercise.’ We tell patients that it’s not just about self-control. There are metabolic and hormonal changes that impact weight, too.”
And of course, Dr. Franco points out that a person’s weight doesn’t always correlate to how healthy they are. Ultimately, Dr. Franco and his fellow researchers concluded in the paper that “acknowledging that weight alone might not give an adequate picture of someone’s health, and recognizing the limitations of lifestyle interventions for weight loss, could pave the way for more effective and patient centered care.”
What are the most sustainable ways for higher weight people to maintain weight loss?
If you have excess weight and haven’t been able to lose it on your own, experts say it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor to get some personalized advice. “It’s very important that people try to pursue a healthy lifestyle that works for them,” Dr. Franco says. “People have different needs, and person-centric care is important.”
Dr. Franco says it’s also crucial for doctors to talk about why someone may benefit from weight loss from a total-body health perspective vs. just giving blanket advice to lose weight. “For patients, it’s important to find the right motivation,” Dr. Franco says. That may mean knowing that weight loss could impact your heart health or even that you’ll be able to be more mobile after losing weight, he says.
And Dr. Ali says patients shouldn’t get discouraged if they want to lose weight and haven’t been successful in the past. “By the time patients see me, they have tried all kinds of things and they’re having no success. That’s where we have to decide on what is the best intervention we can use,” he says.
At the end of the day, it’s crucial to frame weight and health in the context of your goals, per Dr. Franco. “If you want to be more active and agile, that might result in weight loss,” he says. “But, in the end, it’s not just about what you see in the mirror. It’s how you feel about your body. Even if you don’t lose weight but you engage in physical activity, you can still feel better about yourself.”
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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