Defining Optimal Body Weight: An Examination of a Balanced and Fitness-focused Body Composition
Laid-Back Guide to Healthy Weight:
Navigating the concept of a healthy body weight can be tricky. Here's everything you'll want to know about the link between weight and health, the methods for weight measurement, and factors to consider while making choices for your well-being.
What's the Deal with Healthy Weight?
This seemingly simple question is complicated due to the varying definitions of health.
"Weight is definable, but a 'healthy' weight is less straightforward," explains Kristi Peterson, a nutritionist working at multiple UW Medicine Primary Care clinics. Peterson considers a healthy weight as one at which an individual feels mentally, physically, and spiritually balanced, while maintaining the weight with regular, healthy behaviors.
On the contrary, Dr. Sarah Halter, a family practitioner at UW Medicine and an advocate of the Health at Every Size approach, opts to steer clear of the term.
"Weight doesn't reveal a person's lifestyle, habits, or overall health. I think it's oversimplified and doesn't shed much light," she says.
Regardless, the idea of a healthy weight permeates medicine and society. Medical professionals use certain tools to assess whether your weight contributes to health risks.
How is Healthy Weight Assessed?
Currently, medical professionals employ two primary screening tools to evaluate the health risks associated with weight: body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
If you've been to the doctor recently, they likely took your height and weight, which are used to calculate your BMI.
BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. The results categorize you as underweight (a BMI less than 18.5), healthy weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), and obese (30-plus).
BMI has issues as it fails to differentiate between factors affecting weight, such as muscle mass, internal organs, and more. Also, BMI was designed by a mathematician in the 1800s using information from white, European men, making it an imperfect method for assessing the health of people of color, women, or individual white men.
Nonetheless, BMI remains widely used in research to illustrate correlations (though not causations) between weight and future health risks.
Waist Circumference
Waist circumference is another tool that can provide a more holistic picture of health when combined with BMI.
With a measuring tape, measure your waist above your hip bones after exhaling. For women, a waist circumference of more than 35 inches and men larger than 40 inches puts you at increased risk for obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure.
Bathroom Scales
While bathroom scales can help track changes in weight or monitor your weight, they do not determine whether you are healthy or not. Consumer Reports found that six of the tested scales were inaccurate in measuring body fat percentage.
What Elements Shape Your Weight?
There's a wide range of factors influencing your weight, including:
- Genetics
- Sleep
- Stress
- Hormones
- Medication
- Food access and eating habits
- Physical activity
- Certain diseases or conditions
- Digestion and absorption of nutrients
"Imagine someone facing increased work-related stress," Peterson says. "This may disrupt sleep, which could then affect appetite, causing weight fluctuations."
In conclusion, your weight isn't entirely dependent on your resolve to stick to a specific diet or exercise regimen. These factors play a significant role but are only a part of the puzzle.
How Does Weight Impact Physical Health?
Peterson, Montour, and Halter concur that weight by itself does not dictate health. However, there is a correlation between health and weight.
Research indicates excess weight, especially body fat, increases the risk of:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart attacks and strokes
- Osteoarthritis
- Depression and anxiety
- Cancer
- Premature death
On the other hand, being underweight and malnourished can lead to chronic conditions such as:
- Depressed immune system
- Anemia
- Osteoporosis
The Dangers of Weight Cycling
Weight cycling, or repeatedly losing and gaining weight, can harm your metabolism and increase health risks. Note that this refers to repeating weight loss and gain caused by sticking to restrictive diets, not minor fluctuations in weight.
"Studies often disregard the consequences of weight loss, focusing solely on changes to health markers," says Dr. Megan Riddle, a psychiatrist with a focus on eating disorders at the UW School of Medicine. "Unfortunately, the weight cycling itself can cause additional health problems."
The Interplay between Weight and Mental Health
Weight and mental health have a reciprocal relationship, meaning one influences the other. Mental health issues like chronic stress, anxiety, and depression can impact your eating habits and, consequently, your weight. Similarly, restrictive dieting can lead to symptoms of depression.
"We've found that dieting promotes weight cycling, disordered eating, and can affect self-image and sense of self," Riddle explains. "Various repercussions in both physical and mental health can arise."
Can You Be Healthy at Every Size?
The debate remains within the medical community about whether it's possible to be healthy at any size. The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement promotes overall well-being above weight and encourages body acceptance, intuitive eating, and enjoyable physical activity.
Research on HAES interventions has demonstrated improvements in psychological well-being (self-esteem, body image, and mental health) and metabolic health (blood pressure and lipids).
Some doctors object to the idea of health at every size due to the limited research focus on small samples of white women with binge-eating histories or habits of chronic dieting. Nonetheless, studies have shown that HAES interventions can help alleviate mental health symptoms.
Montour and Halter both emphasize that weight stigma and bias are detrimental to everyone, especially within the medical community. Every person's definition of healthy body weight will differ.
Managing Weight in a Healthy Way
Whether you're aiming to lose or gain weight, seeking professional guidance, including nutritionists, specialists in metabolic diseases, and doctors, is crucial. These experts can assist in behavioral support, mental health treatment, medication management, and—in select cases—bariatric surgery.
"Everyone's journey to gaining or losing weight is unique," Peterson emphasizes. "It's crucial to take a personalized approach rather than following generic advice."
Along with consulting your doctor, Peterson and other UW Medicine experts recommend the following tips for maintaining a balanced weight:
Focus on Sustainable and Enjoyable Choices
Develop a plan tailored to your lifestyle and preferences to boost success.
For example, if you abhor running, don't incorporate daily jogging in your plan. If you adore chocolate, don't completely eliminate it.
"Quitting something you love is usually short-lived," Peterson says. "It's worth the effort to determine how to incorporate what you enjoy in a way that aligns with your goals."
Set Non-Weight-Related Goals
Shifting the focus from weight loss to other health markers can help sustain your mental well-being. Aspirations might include boosting energy levels, improving relationships with food, gaining mobility, or lowering blood pressure and sugar.
This strategy is essential since the weight you gain or lose is contingent on individual physiology. You can control your behavior, but not how your body responds to it.
Eat Without Distractions
Slowing down and focusing on your meal lets you better recognize hunger cues and notice when you're full.
This means setting aside your phone, closing the laptop, and savoring your food. Need help slowing down? Pay attention to the colors, smells, and textures of the meal, and spend time chewing each bite.
Recognize Signs to Pull Back
Transitions in weight can be complicated, and it's easy to get consumed with numbers. Be mindful of warning signs that you may need to reassess your weight management plan, such as difficulty sleeping, struggling to recover from workouts, loss of menstruation, weight cycling, or an obsession with food.
If you recognize these signs, it's essential to consult your doctor and reevaluate your approach.
Remember that your weight does not dictate your worth. The purpose of managing your weight is to feel your best within a fulfilling lifestyle.
"I aim to expand the notion of assisting people in feeling good about their bodies beyond mere weight," Riddle says. "Well-being transcends weight."
- "Kristi Peterson, a nutritionist, believes that a healthy weight is one at which an individual feels mentally, physically, and spiritually balanced, while maintaining the weight with regular, healthy behaviors."
- "Healthcare professionals use tools like body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference to assess the health risks associated with weight, although neither tool is perfect and both have limitations."
- "Excess weight, especially body fat, increases the risk of various health issues such as Type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, osteoarthritis, depression, anxiety, cancer, and premature death."
- "Weight and mental health have a reciprocal relationship. Mental health issues can impact eating habits and weight, while restrictive dieting can lead to symptoms of depression."
- "The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement encourages body acceptance, intuitive eating, and enjoyable physical activity, promoting overall well-being above weight."
