Trying to lose weight this year? Read this first

We must be wary of the countless ways the “health and wellness” industry takes advantage of our insecurities in order to sell us a quick-fix without real, lasting health benefits. 

As a plus-size content creator, the start of a new year means being flooded with emails from brands offering partnerships to promote diet products with subject lines like “Viral New Weight Loss Trend – Paid Opportunity.” While the concept of self-improvement is a good thing, theoretically, it is also an opportunity for companies to tell us about areas of our body we didn’t know were “problems” and why their program is the fastest and most effective solution to solve them.

This year, I opened my inbox to find emails from representatives of more than half a dozen medical spas offering me free injections of different forms of semaglutide in exchange for promotion of the trending drug to my audience on social media. In other words, inject yourself with a new weight loss medication that has countless potential undesirable side-effects, and make it more difficult for diabetic patients–for whom it was intended–to acquireit.

Clearly, these companies haven’t done their research. Not only do I not have diabetes, I don’t promote weight loss products and never have. Instead, I talk about self-love, cultural fashion, plus-size style, and body liberation.

Self-care, self-acceptance and body confidence are a big part of this conversation, but they have nothing to do with weight loss. Body weight is not the only indicator of health and I refuse to prey on my communities’ insecurities by trying to convince them that a personal choice I make for my body is the right one for theirs. Part of decolonizing–or re-Indigenizing–health is rejecting white supremacist notions of what is healthy and embracing wellness more holistically.

If your algorithm is anything like mine, you’ve been seeing ads for gyms and weight loss programs since Thanksgiving. These industries are tapping into the unmistakable “new year, new me” spirit that comes every January; some combination of guilt from overindulging during the holidays, falling short of meeting your goals the year prior, and a boost of motivation to do things differently moving forward. And who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that? The new year is a time to leave bad habits in the past and create positive and lasting change.

According to a Forbes/Health One Poll, the top 3 new year’s resolutions for 2024 are to “improve health,” “improve finances,” “improve mental health,” “lose weight,” and “improve diet.”

If you’re like me, one or all of these have probably been on your list of resolutions once, if not every year. But we must be wary of the countless ways the “health and wellness” industry takes advantage of our insecurities and fears in order to sell us a magic pill or quick-fix without real, long-term, lasting health benefits.

From diet culture to body sovereignty

About 45 million Americans go on a diet each new year and spend about $33 billion on weight-loss products according to NPR. If you’re one of them, I can’t fault you. There are elements of that goal that I believe in: drinking more water, moving more, and getting a good night’s sleep. My hope is that you take on those positive habits, rather than trying things that are unsustainable long term, or engaging in behavior that is harmful to your physical or mental health.

Since the early days of the body positive movement, around 2012, outspoken voices in the community have said, “intentional weight loss is not body positive.” For a while, I wholeheartedly bought into that idea. In fact, a lot of people did and still do.

I understand where they are coming from. I also think this stance is a blanket statement as bad as the diet culture messaging they continue to work against. And, possibly motivated by the fear of abandoning—or being abandoned by—their community and losing their own newly-won self-acceptance.

If you’re BIPOC, this topic has added complexities. We know that centuries of structural racism has led to health disparities like increased risk of diabetes and obesity. And, implicit bias in the healthcare system can lead to doctors dismissing patients’ concerns—especially that of Black women. Advising patients to “just lose weight” as a blanket solution may result in overweight patients avoiding seeking out medical care altogether.

The reality is, true body sovereignty means having full control over your body. That means striking a balance that feels right for you, individually. For this reason, many are embracing body neutrality over body positivity.

From countless years working toward “self-improvement” and “self-acceptance,” I’ve found disconnecting from the noise of our fatphobic patriarchal world and engaging in some self-reflection (ideally, with a therapist and a journal) can be a helpful way to clearly define what we want. In this case, for our bodies, our overall health and our lives.

Here is a list of questions to help you clarify your goal and outline a plan to get there:

1. What is my goal and is it realistic? Are there non-scale or body measurement goals that would be better to set your sights on, like walking a 10K or lowering your A1C? Would you be happy with improved habits alone?
2. Who am I doing this for and why? The “why” matters. If it’s for health reasons, get clear on what your health goals are. If it’s confidence or greater self-love, those can come without weight loss.
3. How will I track my progress? Weight is not the best metric to track. Here are some other non-weight goals you might consider.
4. How will I go about this and is it something I can do long-term? The average resolution lasts just under 4 months. It’s important to make sure whatever goals you’re setting are SMART.
5. Am I worthy whether or not I reach this goal? The answer to this question should be an emphatic “yes!” You are not a number on the scale or the size on the tag of your jeans. Whether you are at your highest weight or wearing your largest dress size, you are worthy.
6. Who can I lean on for support? Find someone who encourages you and your goals, while reminding you to give yourself grace. A therapist, dietitian or support group would be ideal.
7. I’m wishing you a better 2024 than you can possibly imagine! Remember, you have every right to change yourself and your body as you please, but happiness comes from within. And, I hope you know that you’re perfect right now, just the way you are.

This article was originally written for Reckon News as part of my regular column.