When it comes to trying to lose weight, Americans do it more often, but they don’t always do it better. While a reported 45 million Americans go on a diet each year, only 5% are successful at keeping the weight off long-term. What’s more, nearly 40% of American adults are obese. This shows, despite our dieting efforts, we haven’t found the key to sustainable weight loss. Could body positivity be that key?
Body Positivity and Weight Loss
The body-positivity movement aims to help people feel good about their bodies regardless of any perceived flaws, such as above-average weight. The goal is for people to love their bodies and love who they are. However, some say body positivity may stop people from taking positive steps to improve their health because they’ll become too comfortable with who they are and where they are in life.
But is that true? Is body positivity counterintuitive to weight loss? No. In fact, body positivity may be the missing key some people need to lose weight successfully and keep it off.
Loving Yourself Heals Past Trauma
People who experience trauma may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are at a greater risk for becoming obese. This is especially true for people who experience childhood trauma. Children who don’t know how to self-soothe after a traumatic experience may turn to food for comfort and develop life-long habits of overeating and emotional eating.
Body positivity and self-love can combat negative behaviors, such as emotional eating, and set trauma survivors on the path to recovery. That’s right, loving yourself can heal past trauma, which in turn can help you lose weight.
Loving Your Body Means Taking Care of It
Loving yourself means nurturing and caring for your body in a healthy way, which includes regular exercise and eating a healthy, balanced diet. People who pursue a healthy lifestyle, regardless of whether they diet or not, tend to weigh less than their peers. Weight loss is a happy side effect of living well.
Having a great mindset is necessary for long-term weight loss, and body positivity might help develop one. Additionally, when you love yourself, you take better care of yourself. You eat better, socialize more and move more, all of which can help you lose weight and keep it off.
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