Weight loss - an outdated and dangerous term

Weight loss - an outdated and dangerous term

I'm mid way through writing a post relating to living by the ten laws of the primal blueprint specifically for type 1 diabetics. After all, it is one of my missions with this blog to find even one person who might benefit from the information and maybe even make the transition towards better health, blood glucose control and overall life satisfaction. I've taken a break from what will likely be my longest post yet, as I have tried to include as many references and external sources as possible. I have taken a break because a recurring annoyance has once again surfaced and I want to vent my opinions on this important issue. The issue is one that we have all heard of, "weight loss" and it's supposed importance. Why does it annoy me? Well, firstly because it is based on bad premises and ignorant viewpoints, but more importantly, because in writing my latest post I found myself slipping into using this awful phrase. I hate the misinformation the notion of weight loss has caused, and feel the need to vent, so here we go.

Apart from being an excellent anti-advertisement for fast food, this picture may raise a key question. Without thinking, does this child need to loose weight? I bet 90% or more people immediately answer yes; but I will argue here that you are dead wrong. This kid needs to loose excess body fat, that's it. Yes, weight loss will likely follow (unless he builds muscle mass, to be discussed later) from a reduction in this "little" boy's body fat, but weight reduction should not be the goal.

Not me sadly, one day though

Question 2: is this man (Scott Sonnon - awesome dude btw) borderline obese. If you said no then you are dead right. However, if you looked at the scales alone, or read his BMI you would get a 'borderline obese' result. Can you see where I am going with this - weight alone is not a measure of health or body composition. 

You really are, truely

Human beings are more than the weight we see when standing on our scales in the bathroom.
We are complex organisms that amount to more that a mere number of pounds or kilos on a set of bathroom scales. Yes you have fat, we all do, some more than others. But YOU are not fat. Weight and BMI do not equate to health. In no study has lower BMI/weight (as they are essentially the same thing, just in proportion to size) been associated with better health. However, lower body fat has. There is a difference. Which reminds me, I watched a TV special where two doctors tried a no-fat, or a no-carb diet which while interesting held the following statement "Your BMI is 24.6 (roughly, I forget the actual numbers), so you are 25% fat". No, no, no no no no no. For doctors these two were surprisingly misinformed and these things annoy me. BMI does not equate to body fat. Therefore BMI is not a worthwhile measure of good health (alongside weight).

Body fat and excess fat. 
I agree that too much excess body fat is bad for us, and I don't think anyone would disagree that shouldn't be sectioned under the mental health act. But, we should not be viewing weight as a measure of fat lost or gained. Especially if you are not rigorous in your testing (Yesterday I overheard a woman state that she weighed herself at home the day before and the scales at the doctors said she had lost 3 pounds - she sounded pretty happy, and I simply sighed internally).

Please please revise your thinking.
I don't claim to be an expert in health. I know what is good in general, and my research and education has provided me with some additional insight, as well as dealing with type 1 diabetes. What I do know is that over-reliance on meeting weight goals, and loosing that last 5 pounds is just plain unhealthy; mentally and physically. I am certain that a number of people with mental health issues surrounding their body image are focusing on weight far too much. I know that I am a guy, and to be honest, I want to put on some muscle mass which will likely increase my weight. But that does not mean that I don't understand that harm that can come from looking at a set of scales and allowing the number staring up at you to define your worth. After all, pre-diagnosis I was pretty happy that I had lost some 20 pounds and was getting skinny (another pet peeve, skinny is bad, lean is good - redefine this thought too). I am glad that I am no longer so stupid to view weight loss as a good thing, though I do relish the fact that my excess body fat is melting away with a combination of Primal dining, and Tacfit training.

I hope this makes my point clear, same weight (and BMI), healthier, fitter body

The above picture is from an article on paleo zone nutrition regarding bmi, weight and body image. Check it out for another article driving my point home.

Moan over, I needed that vent. Apologies that I have likely missed out some important key points, and couldn't find some of the literature I wanted to link.

Respectfully,
Sam