7 Myths About Obesity

We live in a judgmental society (and a fatphobic one!) that has us regularly sizing each other up based on physical appearance. It’s easy to look at someone and jump to conclusions about their habits or shortcomings, and we tend to go especially hard on people of a certain size.

People living with obesity must wade through misinformation, but the myths don't top there — we all face a mountain of misinformation when it comes to obesity. And some of it may even be adding to the problems of those who are large. Here are seven things we need to rethink.

Obesity in the U.S.

Obesity has been growing in the United States for several years. As of the most recent CDC estimates, about 42.4% of US adults and 19.3% of US children qualify as obese. Many of these people struggle with their weight, despite taking all the “right” measures to lose the extra pounds. And almost all of them struggle under the weight of societal judgment and misinformation.

Social media and scientific journals alike have only added to the problem, distributing harmful misinformation and demonizing people. The following myths have likely done the most harm:

1. Obesity is mainly genetic. The idea that genes have power over all else can be deflating, leading some people to give up on their weight altogether as they come to think they're fighting a battle they cannot win. But while the CDC confirms that genetics play some part in a person’s weight, it also stresses the importance of environmental and lifestyle factors.
2. Obesity Doesn't Cause Illness. While this may be true in one small moment in time, and it's also true that some people can manage their health despite being obese, they still have increased risks of developing numerous health conditions that are related to obesity. People carrying excessive weight are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. They’re also more likely to die from cancer and heart disease. So while someone might be healthy in the short term while being obese, in the long term, the odds are stacked against them.
3. Obese people overeat. Multiple factors often go into excessive weight gain, according to Healthline, and different issues can affect different people. Medical conditions, hormonal shifts, medications and even sleep and stress levels can affect a person’s weight. The fact is, we cannot assume someone overeats by looking at them. Moreover, skinny people overeat, too.
4. Obesity and laziness go hand in hand. Just as diet isn’t always the culprit in a person's weight gain, activity levels aren’t always responsible either. Exercise can help aid in weight loss, and it’s vital to stay in good health, but it’s not nearly as important to weight loss as caloric intake and many many other factors. Never look at a person who is obese and assume they don't exercise.
5. Dieting is the answer. Extreme, short-term restrictions might result in extreme, short-term weight loss, but that’s it. Moreover, this approach often leads to weight gain. Many people find their weight stabilizes once they ditch dieting and adopt long-term lifestyle changes.
6. Weight loss is the key to improving health. Yes, losing weight can lower numerous health risks, but it’s not going to nullify everything that's in play, including genetic and environmental factors as well. Good health needs a holistic approach, and keeping a healthy weight is only one of many vital components. Just as being obese is not a guarantee of ill-health, losing weight won't guarantee good health either.
7. All weight loss is healthy. We have to change our collective goal from “skinny” to “healthy.” Weight loss, when not approached in a health-conscious manner, can do far more harm than good. We need to emphasize strength and physical robustness over silly ideals we might pick up on websites or magazine covers. Health should be our aim, not a certain weight.

It’s time we stopped perpetuating myths and started spreading information that might actually help people who are struggling with their health. We do many people a great disservice with our generalizations and judgments, and we can do better. We may never end the obesity epidemic, but we can push for greater balance in how we approach this delicate yet serious issue.

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