ASK THE "DON'T DIET" DOCTOR

Dear Dr. Dorie:
I recently went for a check-up at my family physician, and my doctor told me I was overweight.  I know this by looking in the mirror!  I get frustrated being told to 'lose weight.'  It's not that simple.  What advice do you have?
- Obviously Overweight

Dear Obviously Overweight:
You are right, it can be frustrating to go to your doctor's office and be told 'the obvious' without being offered a good solution.  Health care professionals mean well when they say, 'You need to lose some weight.'  However, weight is just a symptom.  The best advice would be focused on treating the cause of the weight problem.  Your physician needs to spend more time with you to assess your eating habits and activity level, as well as to rule out a medical cause for your weight issues.

Health care professionals tend to give diets or meal plan suggestions as a means of improving eating habits.  However, these plans do not help the person make permanent changes in their relationship with food.  If you find that your eating is a main cause of your struggles with weight, you can remedy the situation by eating with 'inner wisdom.'  This involves paying closer attention to the reasons why you eat, to reduce emotional eating patterns.  Another part of inner wisdom includes tuning into fullness signals, to stop eating before you get too full.  Inner wisdom also involves making the food choices that are appropriate for your body's needs.

Activity is also essential for optimum well-being and to help you maintain a weight that is truly right for you.  People tend to view exercise as a means of weight control, which can take all the fun out of it.  Many people are sedentary, because exercise seems too difficult.  However, if you stay focused on enjoying easy activities such as walking, yard work, or household chores, then you can gradually increase your activity.

Once you are eating the amount and type of food which are right for you, and you are moving your body with activities that you can truly enjoy, your weight should begin to regulate itself.  More importantly, these changes can help improve your health.  If you improve your eating and activity habits, you can significantly reduce your risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses often associated with excess weight.

Health care professionals need to take the focus away from the number on the scale.  The key is to develop healthy, balanced eating and activity habits, as well as to address other possible causes of a weight problem.

© 2006 Dr. Dorie McCubbrey, all rights reserved.  As one of America's leading experts on obesity and eating disorders, Dr. Dorie is the author of How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? (HarperCollins, 2003).  Visit www.DrDorie.com for more diet-free solutions to your food, weight and body worries.

Please share this diet-free solution with others!  This article may be reproduced in print or online, but only in its entirety along with copyright and website information as listed above.  READ MORE ARTICLES