Teasing Sabotages Weight Loss Efforts

A study of 6000 dieters attempting to lose weight by eating less found that experiencing teasing and nagging about weight loss was linked to less adherence to their diet plans, less exercise, and less weight loss. Another study found that overweight people who experienced social rejection on account of their weight were 2-1/2 times more likely to go on to become obese.

What Is the Antidote for Rejection?

Medically oriented weight loss experts are finding that the most successful diet programs include a component that helps dieters deal with negative interactions with others that would ordinarily trigger eating more or exercising less. Usually these successful programs take one of the following four approaches.

• Some people who have trouble sticking to their weight loss programs benefit from regular face to face contact with a supportive counselor. This person is more likely to be like a therapist than like a drill sergeant. These dieters need the kind of emotional support that is also stigmatized, so they need regular private counseling sessions.
• Some people who discontinue their diets after social pressure need their privacy. They respond better to web-based programs that remind them of their goals and how to reach them, but do not contain the possibility of social rejection. Some people suffer real post-traumatic stress after weight loss efforts and need this approach.
• Some dieters find that "there's an app for that." A smartphone application called Oiva, for example, reminds dieters of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles which help them ignore social pressures that ordinarily would cause them to lose interest in their diets and exercise programs.
• And there are numerous Internet-based programs for weight loss.

• If you need 24/7 access to your weight loss support method, the Internet or a phone app is probably better for you.
• If you need a gentle nudge to stay on your weight loss plan, Internet or smartphone based programs may work for you.
• If you need intense support for reaching your goals, you probably need a sympathetic coach or support group.
• If your experiences with dieting and weight loss have come with major depression or suicidal thoughts, you need the help of a licensed, professional counselor to make your weight loss program work.

If you have decided that dieting just isn't for you, that doesn't necessarily mean that you can't do anything to improve your health. Both diabetes and cardiovascular disease respond to appropriate exercise programs. Find a gym that specializes in providing a place for overweight people to work out, or join a rehabilitation program at your local Y or community health center.

See Also: People Lose a Little More Weight with Online Help as Compared to Traditional Weight Loss Programs

Whatever you need to do to feel good about yourself, as long as it does not come at the expense of the physical or emotional health of others, is fair game as your personal weight treatment plan.