Toss that Scale! It isn't worth a penny!

In the mid 1800s, the United States slowly began the descent with its obsession with body weight. In 1864, William Banting published a pamphlet titled Letter on Corpulence: Addressed to the Public, outlining the diet his doctors had prescribed to help him address frustration with his body size. Today, it would be found in the category of “self-help” books and would fall among the 40,000+ diet books on Amazon today: all of them touting THE best diet on the market.

In 1885, the Penny Scale was made available in such places as drug stores, grocery stores, and train stations. This truly launched the country into an obsession with “weight” and the number on the scale. While there is no doubt that obesity, women with 30 percent body fat and men with more than 25 percent body fat, can be detrimental to metabolic health, humans come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The number on the scale does not give accurate information about physiological health or the amount of bone, fat, and muscle in an individual. Before and after a months-long strength training program, the same woman may appear much slimmer but actually weigh more after building several pounds of muscle.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement used by physicians. That is a calculation of weight adjusted for height. This data is, also, not an accurate determinant of a person’s physical health. Muscle mass, body fat, and bone density impact an individual’s overall weight and; therefore, their BMI. That means, an individual with substantial muscle could have the same BMI as an individual with high body fat.

Restrictive dieting is often more detrimental to our health than living joyfully in a larger body. Restricting calories, in addition to side effects such as nutrient deficiency, headaches, low motivation, and malaise, often leads to binge eating later in the day. The body and brain will begin to work harder to tell you it wants to be fed which leads to overeating or choosing foods that are high in fat, sodium, and sugar. Overeating, then leads to strong emotions of shame.

Unless you are contentious about nutrient intake and engage in strength exercise, fasting and restrictive dieting may cause you to lose muscle and gain fat. Intermittent fasting has been shown to provide some health benefits and may be an option for some individuals, but it needs to be formulated and implemented thoughtfully to ensure adequate nutrient intake. Fasting should not be done without a knowledgeable physicians guidance, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

Chronic dieting affects quality of life. It causes the development of food and body weight obsessions. The time and energy that goes into obsessing about food and bodyweight negatively affects our relationships and other areas of our lives. The new "weight loss" drugs are a medical treatment used to facilitate restriction. Providers that prescribe this treatment offer little to no suggestions on how to improve relationships with food, how to implement nutritious eating habits, or recommend exercise. One of my mental health clients told me that she had a follow-up with a provider who was prescribing one of these drugs. She informed him of her concern about a significant lack of appetite while on the drug. He told her that was nothing to worry about. Really? Eating only a few hundred calories per day for weeks will lead to starvation. The body will use muscle as fuel and the body will increase susceptibility to disease and begin to lose function of the organs.

Sedentary lifestyle and excessive sugar impact our health tremendously. Weight, is not a criteria in metabolic syndrome. If you want to check numbers that are accurate representations of health, look at those that meet the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Those criteria are: High blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, central adiposity, and elevated fasting glucose.

Muscle affects our resting metabolic rate as well as our ability to convert food into energy. With a reduction in muscle, there is a decrease in the amount of calories your body burns while at rest. Strength training is extremely important as a treatment for insulin resistance as well as other metabolic disorders. Increasing muscle mass reduces and prevents type 2 diabetes. (Click here to read a recent study on this topic).

There are numerous factors that contribute to health. The number on the scale and BMI are not concise or reliable indicators. As quoted by Dr. Peter Attia in OUTLIVE: The Science & Art of Longevity, "not everyone who is obese is metabolically unhealthy, and not everyone who is metabolically unhealthy is obese." With positive behavioral changes that include adding movement a swapping out some of the foods and drinks you currently consume, you will increase longevity and improve energy, mood, productivity, and daily functioning.