Weight Isn’t Everything: Health Metrics, Goals, and Signs of Progress That Have Nothing to Do with a Number on a Scale
This is a topic I’ve been wanting to write about for a while now. My clients and I are able to regularly talk about ways to interpret and improve personal health without bringing weight into the conversation. However, thanks to false, outdated research, social media, and a variety of other pressures, many people go through life obsessed over matters concerning their weight.
Let’s talk a little bit about why we do this, why it’s wrong, and what we can do instead!
A Brief Intro to Fat Phobia
The origin of fatphobia deserves much more than a few sentences in a blog post.
Like an entire book more.
But I want to give a brief look at how weight became the “end-all-be-all” for health, morality, social standing, and every other aspect of life it’s wormed its way into.
Sabrina Strings, author of “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” and UC Irvine assistant professor of sociology, talks about this topic in an interview with the University of California.
According to Strings’ research, fatphobia’s origin didn’t stem from health concerns but from Protestantism and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. To put it simply, “Protestantism encouraged temperance…including those of the palate,” while “ colonists and race scientists suggested that black people were…prone to…oral excesses.”
Thanks to these ideas together, fatness was thought to be an indicator of racial inferiority and immorality by the early 19th century, especially in the U.S.
Strings does point out that, regardless of its history, fat phobia today affects people regardless of gender or racial identity. As she says, “Thinness is privileged, and fatness is stigmatized.”
Though there’s much more to the history of fat phobia than this, it is the beginning of a belief leading us to where we are now: using weight as a determining factor of our health, building goals around how much we “should” weigh, and using the number on a scale as a measure of our progress and success.
This is Not an Attack on Thin People
Let me be abundantly clear: this discussion, along with any other weight/shape/size-related subject I discuss, is not meant to shame or upset thin and non-fat people.
There is privilege in thinness. However, that doesn’t make the body image issues of smaller-sized people any less valid. This centuries-old idea of “fat is bad” has instilled a fear of weight gain in people of all sizes.
Many thin people still use their weight as a measurement of their health and have goals related to keeping the number on the scale from going up. Though they’re not faced with the same socially-accepted bias and discrimination as fat people, fat phobia affects them in these ways. Therefore, it’s important that everyone understands that the role weight plays in our daily lives is bogus.
Research Shows Weight Isn’t Everything
Honestly, I went down several rabbit holes for research, recommendations, articles, and meta-analyses trying to put together helpful information for this section. In an effort to be relatively concise, I’m going to briefly go over a few sources but provide links to some helpful pieces for those interested in digging deeper into this topic!
Thanks to continuously emerging research and expert opinion, we know that the perceived correlation between weight and health doesn’t actually exist. We also know that BMI is an outdated and inaccurate concept, as discussed in articles such as those posted by Harvard, Medpage Today, and even the Montreal Gazette in an interview with a doctor specializing in orthopedic surgery of those with high BMIs.
Prevention has a phenomenal article that does a terrific job of digging into many of the myths surrounding the correlation between weight and health and explaining how research shows these myths are wrong.
The article quotes this review, which takes a look at health metrics in correlation to weight loss. The review concludes that researchers “...uncovered no clear relationship between weight loss and health outcomes…” This is to say that the weight loss of those studied didn’t have a strong positive effect on their blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes risk. The review then questions whether a change in weight affects these metrics, or if “[i]Increased exercise, healthier eating, engagement with the health care system, and social support may have played a role instead.”
This article, written by Jeffrey Hunger, Ph.D., works to break down the problematic assumptions of weight-related policies, including the idea that high body weight equals poorer health and that “long-term weight loss is widely achievable.”
All of this is to say one thing: there’s not enough proof that weight alone causes good or poor health. It’s more important to pay attention to other quantifiable measures of health, along with factors like activity level and quality of life, when determining your risk for disease or need to make lifestyle changes.
Non-Weight Health Metrics
Since the evidence doesn’t support an emphasis on weight, it’s important to focus on other, more objective measurements to keep yourself healthy and at minimal risk for disease.
Here are more accurate ways to measure and monitor your health and well-being!
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure has two measurements:
Systolic: The pressure when your heart beats and pumps blood into the blood vessels.
Diastolic: The pressure when your heart relaxes.
According to the National Institute of Health, the normal blood pressure of adults is under a systolic value of 140 mmHg and under a diastolic value of 90 mmHg. Long-term High blood pressure (also known as hypertension,) can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including strokes and heart attacks.
Blood pressure can change throughout the day, so measuring your blood pressure multiple times is important. Stress and external temperature are just a few factors that can affect your measurement.
If you have consistently high blood pressure, it’s important to consult with a medical professional.
Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is how many times your heart beats per minute. Generally, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. According to Harvard Health, the RHR of most relaxed and healthy adults averages below 90 beats per minute.
Generally, a lower RHR is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular issues, like heart attacks. In contrast, a higher RHR could potentially mean higher cardiac risks.
Heart rate recovery
We know the importance of resting heart rate, but how well your heart rate can return back to this normal pace is a good indicator of health too. According to Cleveland Clinic, Heart rate recovery (HRR) is the difference between your max heart rate during exercise and your heart rate after you stop. To find your HRR, you’ll need to know your max heart rate during exercise, then your heart rate one minute after you’re done exercising. Subtracting your post-exercise HR from your max will give you your HRR in beats per minute.
There’s no set number for good heart rate recovery, but dropping by 18 beats or more is considered good HRR. If your heart rate takes a long time to return to normal, there could be problems worth exploring with a medical professional.
Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol carried by lipoproteins split into two groups. The first is low-density lipoprotein (LDL,) also known as “bad” cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in the walls of blood vessels.
The second is high-density lipoprotein (HDL,) or “good” cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it is flushed from the body. The CDC states that high levels of HDL can lower risk of stroke and heart disease.
The CDC also says there are typically no warning signs of high cholesterol besides having it routinely checked.
Physical Activity and/or Activities of Daily Living
As you might recall from my recap of Desk Job Detox, movement matters! The physical activity you choose to engage in, as well as the amount of movement you get throughout your normal day, can be a good indicator of your health. Unfortunately, most sedentary jobs can’t be helped. However, taking regular movement breaks and intentionally adding exercise to your routine are especially important for minimal pain, improved mobility, and longevity.
Happiness
No, I’m not making this up! According to an article posted in Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine, a positive mood is a strong predictor of physical health.
This article cites several studies indicating that happiness is good for your heart, immune system, stress levels, and perception of physical pain.
Though there will always be a range of struggles, I think we do have a certain amount of say in our own happiness. I also think we’re doing ourselves a disservice when we don’t make changes to help ourselves be happy.
Achievable, Practical, and Realistic Goals
Now that we have a better understanding of what metrics we should pay attention to, let’s also take a look at goals that have absolutely nothing to do with how much you weigh.
Drinking More Water
While there’s no true perfect amount of water to consume daily, the Mayo Clinic generally recommends 15.5 cups (or 3.7 liters) for men and 11.5 cups (or 2.7 liters) for women a day.
Water makes up 50-70% of our bodies and plays important roles in temperature regulation, waste removal, and joint lubrication. Dehydration can also lead to tiredness and a lack of energy.
Aiming to add an extra cup of water a day, or building up to a certain amount of water a day is a great goal.
If you’d rather focus on general hydration, adding in more fruits, vegetables, and beverages like juice and tea is a great idea!
Getting More Sleep
Harvard Health has a whole site dedicated to the importance of sleep!
Though there’s no one right answer for why we sleep, research shows that insufficient sleep can lead to poor health including many diseases.
Adults need at least eight hours of sleep to function best. Taking steps to improve your quality of sleep and get more sleep are awesome goals to set!
Increasing Exercise Consistency
Consistency in your physical activity or movement routine is a great goal to set! This can also help indicate whether or not you’ve set sustainable, achievable goals depending on your ability to be consistent or adhere to a schedule. Hold yourself accountable with this!
Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food
There’s a deeper conversation to be had with this particular goal as there are so many ways we can struggle in our relationship with food. No matter what your struggle is, working on overcoming it is an awesome thing to strive for.
Cutting Negative Self-Talk
Cutting negative self-talk is so important to create and maintain a healthy relationship with yourself! Look into adding more body-neutral affirmations into your day, and try to reframe any negative thoughts you have with body-neutral ones.
I support body positivity and self-love too, but I know those can be hard topics to strive for at the beginning of a wellness journey.
Exercise-Related Goals
If you’ve added movement and exercise into your routine, there are a number of goals to strive for here! The number of reps you can do, the weight you can lift/squat/bench/etc, your cardio endurance, your mile time, and so on. All of these are tangible things to reach for and have very little to do with your weight.
Signs of Progress That Don’t Require a Scale
So many people rely on how their weight changes as their only sign of progress. Not only are there other, more important, matters to focus on, but the inconsistency of this measurement makes it difficult to rely on as well. Weight fluctuates regularly regardless of your goals or actions, so basing everything on a number that shifts frequently isn’t realistic.
The amount of non-weight-related signs of progress is too long for me to list, so here are my favorites!
Becoming Stronger
This can come through in an exercise setting or even in daily life! You might find yourself having an easier time doing chores that require lifting or moving, carrying more groceries in, or you might feel stronger and more capable.
Consistency Improves
Getting into the habit of movement and sticking with it is a great way to tell you’re making progress! It starts by reaching your daily goals for a whole week, then a whole month, then multiple months until these things become habits!
Improved Endurance
Just like being stronger, having more endurance can show up in and outside of the gym. Do you have an easier time recovering from an increase in physical activity? Are the stairs a little easier? Do you need fewer breaks during movement? Don’t forget to pay attention to these things!
Affirmations Come Naturally
That goal of reducing your negative self-talk is also a sign of progress! Quickly reframing your thoughts or repeating affirmations gets easier the more you do it and quickly becomes second nature until your negative self-talk is gone!
Better Body Awareness
Being self-aware isn’t easy, and doing what’s right for your body can be difficult if it’s not what you’ve been made to think is right.
Having an understanding of what’s going on inside your body, what your body needs or doesn’t need, and listening to your body are amazing signs of progress.
Health Metrics are Improving
As discussed above, there are a few medical markers that generally indicate health and/or risk for disease. Having an average/healthy blood pressure level, resting heart rate, heart rate recovery time, and cholesterol level are really important ways to see that your work is paying off!
Happier
Taking steps to better ourselves is itself, a reason to feel happier and proud of ourselves.
And, as Elle Woods said best: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”
Harvard Health discusses a study showing that exercise boosts mood. To quote the article: “People who moved more, they found, had a significantly lower risk for major depressive disorder — but only when the exercise was measured objectively using a tracking device, not when people self-reported how much exercise they performed.”
In reference to objective measurement versus self-reporting, it’s not uncommon for us to overestimate our physical activity levels. Using a tracking device can keep you accountable and show you, realistically, how much activity you’ve performed and at what level.
Making Positive Lifestyle Changes and Choices
Making positive lifestyle changes and choices is a HUGE sign of progress and mean the things you’re doing are sustainable. Listening to your cravings but building a satisfying meal instead of binging, taking standing breaks without needing an external reminder, and allowing yourself to do things you enjoy– these are all positive changes and choices that show an incredible amount of progress.
Pain is More Manageable
I would love to promise that making lifestyle changes will entirely alleviate your pain, but it’s not always true. Though nutrition and movement changes might not eliminate your physical pain, taking steps to better your health can improve your symptoms. You might notice things hurt less as you go about your daily life or exercise!
Doing Things You Love
Think about what made you want to change things. Were there activities you couldn’t do, weren’t confident about, or had a hard time with?
How have things changed in regard to your ability to do these activities? Are they easier or more enjoyable? That’s progress!
The Takeaway: Weight Isn’t Everything
This post throws a lot of information at you which can be difficult to process, so take it one step at a time!
I do encourage you to read more on the history of fat phobia, both to unlearn harmful thoughts and behaviors and to educate others. For the same reason, I recommend checking out the above pieces along with other articles and research discussing why weight is not an indicator of health.
Your weight doesn’t need to be the center around which your world revolves. There are so many more accurate and generally better ways to check your health, progress, and just live life.
Each of these categories has so many additional points that I didn’t even bring up. If you’d like to discuss these, let me know!
Photo by SHVETS production