What Experts Are Saying About Weight Loss
“Various regulatory bodies ... are increasingly acknowledging that obesity is a chronic, progressive medical condition primarily influenced by physiology rather than mere willpower.”
— Sandy Van, MD, obesity physician and GP psychotherapist, founder of Haven Weight Management, staff physician at MEDCAN Weight Management, and Medical Advisor to Obesity Matters
“It’s not just hype. Patients on these medications tell me they don’t even have to think about eating less.”
– Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, an obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston
“Given that obesity is a chronic disease, it often requires chronic treatment.”
— Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at the Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center and chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, who is based in Boston
“It is not a coincidence that as rates of obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing, the rates of mental disorders are also skyrocketing.”
— Christopher Palmer, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston
“It is important to note that these medications are a tool when it comes to weight management, not a quick fix or a cure.”
— Erin Palinski-Wade, RDN, CDCES, who is based in Sparta, New Jersey
“Everyone always focuses on what. They say, ‘Doc, I want to lose 10 pounds.’ And I always tell them, ‘Your why has to be stronger than your what.’”
— Sean Hashmi, MD, a nephrologist and obesity medicine specialist in Woodland Hills, California, and a member of Everyday Health’s Health Expert Network
“Obesity is a complex chronic disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach to care that includes medical, nutritional, behavioral and psychosocial support and counseling to achieve the best possible results.”
— Marina Kurian, MD, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
What Role Does Mental Health Play in Weight Loss?
What Experts Are Saying About Weight Loss and Emotions
“Unfortunately, the connection between mental health and weight has historically been underestimated in the era of ‘eat less, move more.’ Our new understanding of the complexity of obesity is finally shedding light on the importance of mental health care alongside medical and behavioral treatments.”
— Robyn Pashby, PhD, licensed clinical health psychologist, certified health coach, founder of and director of Health Psychology Partners in Washington, DC, and board member of Obesity Action Coalition
“The relationship with the scale is one that is challenging — it helps to know that the number on the scale is a number and it’s not a judgment on your willpower, your character, and whether or not you are committed to taking care of yourself and being acceptable to society.”
— Deepa Sannidhi, MD, an obesity and lifestyle medicine physician and director of the Supervised Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine Program at UC San Diego Health, and a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine
“Occasionally using food as a pick-me-up, as a reward, or to celebrate is human. But when eating is your primary emotional coping mechanism, you can get stuck in an unhealthy cycle.”
— Amy Girimonti, an eating disorder therapist for Embark Behavioral Health in Phoenix, Arizona
“We are all fish swimming in the sea of diet culture, and I think that is part of what makes weight loss and body acceptance so complicated.”
— Kayli Anderson, RDN, a plant-based dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, who is based in Salida, Colorado, and a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and of Everyday Health’s Health Expert Network
“When emotional eating is accompanied by feelings of shame or numbness, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, or a loss of control, you could be developing a negative relationship with food, a pattern of restrictive eating, or other disordered eating behavior.”
— Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, the director of dietetics at the University of Georgia in Athens
“When I see people who are struggling to make a change ... usually the issue isn’t really motivation. It’s that substance or behavior is still serving a purpose in their life and they haven’t figured out what purpose that is and how they can replace it.”
“Regardless of what someone may tell you, weight loss is difficult and can be extremely mentally challenging; if you have a strong love for yourself, then you will be more motivated to make healthy diet and lifestyle changes.”
— Kristen Smith, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the founder of 360FamilyNutrition
