One of our specialties here at Flourish Psychology is treatment for eating disorders. Our team of therapists has significant experience working at a high level with eating disorders and those struggling with their relationship with food.
Now that we’re in the new year, many people are choosing weight loss as their new year’s resolution. We know from experience that this can be the beginning (or a continuation) of a problem with disordered eating. All sizes fit, and those that feel like they need to improve their body shape typically are struggling with a mental health issue, not a body shape issue.
Still, another issue that comes into play is that most people do not typically understand how the body works, how nutrition works, and what this can do to our long term mental health. Not only is “weight loss” not often a healthy goal, but it’s also something that may not be possible with a traditional understanding of nutrition, and lead to issues that can contribute to worsening mental health.
An Introduction to Weight Set Points
Most people have not heard of the term “weight set point,” but it is perhaps the most important term for someone to know when they’re thinking about their weight and health.
Our bodies have, encoded within it, a specific weight that they are trying to maintain. A weight “Set Point” that your body believes it needs to try to reach at all times in order to maintain optimum health and efficiency.
This set point affects how your body responds to what you eat. Depending on how much your weight has changed and what you’re eating, it might:
- Increase your hunger.
- Reduce your metabolism.
- Alter your energy levels.
All of this is completed with the goal of helping your body get back to the set point weight. So what happens if you, in an effort to “lose weight,” reduce your caloric intake? Even if you do lose a few pounds off the scale, you are also more likely to experience:
- Increased hunger, which may make it more difficult to reach your goal.
- Slowed metabolism, so it takes less calories to increase weight.
- Low energy, making you less mobile.
All of these can harm your health, make it difficult to sustain your weight, and more.
How Does This Affect Mental Health?
All of those are physical health issues that relate to weight loss as a goal. But the effects of these changes affect your mental health as well. Not only are conditions like anxiety and depression more likely if you’re stressed (which may occur if your body feels it doesn’t have enough nutrition), but it may also:
- Lead to excessive caloric restriction. Those that are determined to stick with their goal may have to cut more and more calories to try to continue to reach their goals as their metabolism slows and their energy levels decrease, leading to dangerously low levels of nutrients and the developments of eating disorders.
- Developing body dysmorphia, a precursor to eating disorders. For those that do not cut calories further, finding that your body doesn’t change can increase the risk of body dysmorphia. People tend to start judging their bodies more harshly when they realize they’re not able to get the weight that they’re trying achieve. Body dysmorphia increases the risk for eating disorders in the future.
- Anxiety/depression from failure. Even for those that do not restrict calories further, or experience body dysmorphia, it can be difficult to work so hard and still not achieve your goals. In fact, not only will your set point weight bring you back to where you were prior to your new year’s resolution, but there’s evidence that the slowed metabolism from caloric restriction can raise the set weight point – meaning, you may end up with a higher weight than when you started.
As specialists with eating disorders, we want people to succeed at their goals. “Weight loss” as a new year’s resolution, however, is both not a healthy goal in general and one that can lead to eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues in the future.
How to Develop Psychologically Healthy New Years Goals
Rather than focus on things like weight loss, focus on your mental health. Your mental health plays a role in your ability to meet other goals you have in your life, including your confidence, your relationships, and even your body. The more you focus on your psychological health, the better the results will be. Get started today with Flourish Psychology.