Obesity is a serious, chronic illness that is more than just gaining too much weight. A new Canadian clinical guideline aims to correct the stigma against obese patients.
"The dominant cultural narrative regarding obesity fuels assumptions about personal irresponsibility and lack of willpower and casts blame and shame upon people living with obesity," the guideline states. Even doctors have discriminated against obese patients with what is called 'weight bias.'
Dealing with obesity is more than just losing weight; it also means dealing with genetic risks, stress, trauma, and other psychological experiences. Around 50 percent of obese adults have had difficult childhoods.
Another misconception about obesity is that fat-shaming and forcing patients to go on a strict diet will not lead to weight loss. As comedian James Corden puts it, "If making fun of fat people made them lose weight, there'd be no fat kids in schools."
More than Willpower
Dr. Angel Chater from the University of Bedfordshire, who led a study in 2019, said that obesity is not easy to treat. Even with the 'best willpower in the world,' without access to the right kind of food, a healthy environment, and a good childhood, obesity is difficult to avoid.
Instead, experts believe that a holistic approach to dealing with obesity will be much more effective. It can start with the mindset that the 'best weight' of an obese individual is not their 'ideal weight,' and small reductions will help improve their health in proportion to their body mass index (BMI).
Ximena Ramos-Salas from Obesity Canada said, "For a long time we've associated obesity as a lifestyle behavior." Obese people have been bombarded with 'shame and blame' from the health care system. Ramos-Salas recommended that those with obesity should be supported in the same way that people with other chronic diseases are treated.
"Obesity continues to be treated as a self-inflicted condition," the report states, explaining why former treatments, interventions, and approaches have failed. The updated guidelines are a gentle reminder that regardless of body type, everyone 'would benefit from adopting a healthy, well-balanced eating pattern and engaging in regular physical activity.'
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It's Not About Cutting Calories
Dr. Sean Wharton from McMaster University said, "We're no longer going to be focusing on speaking about calories when we talk about decreasing weight." They intend to focus on healthy eating or medical nutrition therapy.
The new guidelines have also expanded obesity treatment to include 'three pillars' of effecting losing weight in the long run. Integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), weight loss medication, and bariatric surgery will help with overall well-being. CBT treatment and psychological intervention can be as simple as waiting five minutes before grabbing a snack, explained Wharton.
Focusing on the root causes of obesity and focusing on realistic health goals can help those with obesity learning to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This would be a lot better than being told to just cut calories to lose weight.
