Introduction
Many researchers have evidenced discrepancies in arguments favoring current weight management policies. The current weight management focus is based on assumptions that render its merit contestable. Two of these assumptions are discussed in the following sections.
Obesity is linked to higher risk for certain diseases, but causation aspects are not known. More important factors that pose health risks like socioeconomic status, weight cycling, fitness, nutrients intake, and activity are rarely considered in the relation between weight and disease. The above factors are likely to increase disease risk and the risk of weight gain (Bacon and Aphramor 3). Considering weight cycling as a factor, which is the rapid loss and gain of body weight, studies have proven that it can be the reason for all of the deaths related to obesity. Therefore, the relation between weight and health risk can be traced to the fluctuations in weight than body fat. Further, looking into type II diabetes, which is attributed to weight and body fat, there is more evidence that poverty is more strongly associated with the condition than other risk factors like weight, diet, or activity. Hypertension is another condition associated with weight, where research suggests that it is more common among obese people than lean people. This is debatable since the body mass index has a higher connection with blood pressure than body fat, and this is a result of higher lean mass and not fat mass. Fluctuation in weight while trying to control weight is also associated with incident hypertension. In addition, studies show that obese people with hypertension live longer than lean people with hypertension and have a lower morbidity rate and mortality rate.
Assumption: The only way for overweight and obese people to improve health is to lose weight
Long-term improved health due to weight loss for obese people is still an unproven assumption. This is due to the fact that there is no weight reduction method that has proved to work long-term for a majority of people. In addition, it is not known whether weight loss in obese people reduces the morbidity rate to the same level as that observed in people with normal weight. According to many researchers, a change in health behavior irrespective of whether one loses weight improves most health indicators. For example, blood pressure can be reduced by a change in once lifestyle (Bacon and Aphramor 6). The same applies in body fats, where one can exercise to improve their fitness regardless of weight gained or lost during exercise.
Focusing on obesity is different than focusing on negative health behaviors such as inactivity or poor nutrition as it advocates for weight management in terms of weight loss which is hard to achieve and maintain long-term for one to see its benefits. It also leads to stigmatization and discrimination. On the other hand, focusing on health behavior change promotes self-esteem, improved eating habits and reduces the risks of diseases.
The Health at Every Size model differs from the traditional ways of looking into obesity in that it calls for body acceptance, not weight loss. Also, it advocates for one to follow their body intuition and eat according to how they feel as opposed to being controlled by diet restrictions. In addition, it supports tangible ideas as opposed to encouraging a rigid exercise plan.
Work Cited
Bacon, Linda, and Lucy Aphramor. "Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift." Nutrition Journal 10.1 (2011): 9-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
