If a doctor prescribed a medication that only worked for 5% of patients, and caused symptoms to *worsen* for everyone else, the result would be an ethical and malpractice suit nightmare. Yet doctors do the equivalent of this every single day when they recommend weight loss.
Weight loss is only achieved and sustained by 5% of people who attempt it. Most failed weight loss attempts result in a slower metabolism, reduced muscle tone, and regain of all the lost weight.
And even though high weight is correlated with negative health outcomes, we don't actually have causal proof that losing weight causes a *reduction* in those outcomes for most people. It may be that a) being fat and b) heart conditions & other risks are merely associated.
So, if weight loss is not possible for most people, doesn't reduce negative health outcomes, and failed attempts at it result in unhealthy side effects, why are doctors still recommending it?
Why are public health organizations still seeing it as a solution to problems like heart disease? Why do most people still mistakenly believe it is a viable solution or option?
Hatred of fat people, and ignorance about the data on this subject, are the only logical answers.
Hatred of fat people, and ignorance about the data on this subject, are the only logical answers.
