I have told the story before a patient I had years ago, when I still offer “Non-Divine Weight Management” (which I finally realized that it was not a real thing) in a healthcare facility in which I worked. During our first meeting, when I asked her about what she was doing for exercise, she told me strongly that she had recently made a 6 -week Bootcamp Fitcamp class and lost no weight, so she was not going to exercise why there was no reason. (So there!)
I said something about physical activity that has Bajillion benefits, even if it does not produce any weight loss. He had none of them.
Today, I am still discussing the many benefits to the health of exercise/movement/physical activity (provided it is an activity you enjoy or at least are fine with and reasonably suited to your life so that it does not become a stressful factor). Because it’s true. There are withdrawals and withdrawals of research documents that prove it Physical activity has immediate benefits for physical and mental health.
Nevertheless, Many people find it falsely as something that has indirect health benefits. In other words, if exercise helps you lose weight, then this weight loss helps you to be healthier.
(What makes you healthier? Exercise.
What does the research say
A recent review of the research has confirmed what previous studies they have found: at each point on the weight spectrum, physical activity improves health. When one has what is called “Cardiorespiratory Fitness”, the correlations between higher weight, chronic illness and otherwise poor health disappear.
Cardiopulmonary ability in this case does not mean that he is an athlete. Basically it means getting the recommended minimum of 150 minutes a week walking rush or some similar activity.
I wonder what would happen if we were also able to wave a magic wand and get rid of the stigma on the basis of weight and anti-lip prejudice that can:
- Create a lot of stress, which is directly bad for health.
- Make people in oily bodies delaying getting things like preventive health projections because they don’t want to go to the doctor and get another lecture on their weight. This is also directly bad for health.
So when you post like the Atlantic write things like…
“Ozempic killed diet and exercise. Doctors may be too late to admit it, but Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs make a diet and exercise outdated.”
… Should I wonder if people seek “health” or just seek subtlety?
The idea that weight = health is so rooted in our society and in the healthcare system, that I cannot really blame anyone who believes that weight loss is essential for improving health.
However, while many studies have found correlations between higher weight and various health problems, compounds cannot determine the cause and the result.

What really makes you healthier?
One of the best research articles I have seen to connect the various threads about diet lesions is the 2013 review article “Long -term diet effects: Is weight loss associated with health?“
The authors examined whether weight loss improves health by examining the health results from long -term randomized controlled nutrition studies. Specifically, examining whether weight loss diets lead to improved cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar. They also looked at whether the amount of weight lost made the difference.
They found that overall, there were minimal improvements in these health results in these studies and what improvements were observed were equally likely to occur among the participants, as they were among the participants in the control group. So weight loss didn’t matter.
The authors found some greater improvements – lower blood pressure, reduced use of diabetes and fewer new cases of diabetes or strokes. However, They also identified factors that muddy the relationship between weight loss and these health effects, such as increased exercise, healthier nutrition and commitment to the healthcare system.
For example, if you lose weight, but also exercise more, eating better and/or eventually getting regular precautionary health care (because you are involved in a study that includes it) and your health improves, weight loss often gets the credit, even if one or more of these other changes is actually responsible.
I know that the good old diet is falling from favor (for most people, never worked anyway) now that we have these bright, shiny new weight loss drugs available. But One thing most people did when a diet was to increase their exercise. Unless they did some really odd diet, They probably ate more vegetablesIf for any other reason than they are low in calories. They also probably chose sources of protein (such as chicken breasts), so they probably also reduce the intake of saturated fat.

No appetite? You still need food
While many people who use a GLP-1 weight loss medicine to lose weight also exercise and choose nutritious foods, I also see many people who are not, and so are many of my dietary colleagues.
What may worry me most about this is when women after menopause they take these drugs have almost no appetite and do not see it as a concern — though The existence of appetite does not mean that our body does not need nutrients.
And, no vitamin and mineral supplements are not a solutionBecause food nutrients exist in a complex food womb and synergy between nutrients and other healthy foods of food, including fiber, healthy fats, protein, is what really supports health.
About this protein: After the age of 35 to 40 years, we begin to lose muscle unless we are deliberate to include a decent portion of protein with every meal and working our muscles with exercise. This becomes more important as we get. This couple with the fact that every time we lose weight, however, we do it, we lose muscle with body fat. There is no such thing as the point that reduces or selectively loses fat. So when I see the bodies of older women shrink and think, “I have no appetite … great!” And “Yay, I don’t need to deal with exercise anymore,” it scares me.
Or, as one of my dietary colleagues says to her patients in this situation, “What happens when you fall and you can’t get up? What happens when you don’t have the power to get up from the toilet?”

How can GLP-1S improve
I know there are headlines every day As for how people taking GLP-1Weight loss drugs have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, adipose liver, sleep apnea* and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
The hypothesis (at least by the public) is that it is the weight loss of these drugs that reduce the health risks. But what studies make it clear is that they are other mechanisms of the drug, well known and unknown, who are probably responsible.
For example, these medicines can reduce inflammation. And do not forget that these drugs were initially approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes because they have immediate effects on body mechanisms that help keep blood sugar to get too high. Only when the researchers noticed that people on these drugs also lost some weight that they decided to put the dosage and start studying them specifically for weight loss.
Also in all clinical weight loss tests for these medicines, Participants are also expected to eat less and exercise more and in some cases have received intensive dietary counseling. So yes, nutrition and exercise are important to everyone.
*(Now, sleep apnea can be helped with weight loss in some people, but thin people can also get sleep apnea, and CPAP machinery also helps manage sleep apnea.)

Because honesty is the best policy
People have complicated reasons to want to lose weight. Can:
- Feel that it is just what “we need to do”
- They want their body to look somehow (or feel that they must be loved and accepted)
- I want you to get away from the weight stig
- Be recorded in pressure from their doctors
- You have a health problem that is really helpful by weight loss (this may be in some cases, although there are generally no causal bonds between weight and health).
But if with a diet or by drugs, I think it’s silly to say, “I lose weight for my health” when someone really loses weight because they don’t want to wear size clothes. I believe that no one is obliged to pursue health (because hello, body autonomy). But I also believe that most people are interested in their health and are willing to put at least some intention and effort to take care of it.
Aiming a smaller number on the scale or a smaller pants size and thought that is health, While we ignore things – nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress reduction, preventive health care – which directly support health, Can let them wonder, “what happened” somewhere down the road When they realize that they have sarcopenia (age -related waste), osteoporosis (may only find it after breaking a bone), neurological issues (from lack of vitamins B), or other malnutrition and lack of physical activity.
That’s why I really support up -to -date decision making, including honesty and reflection on what is really wanting for ourselves and why. This is important when you look at weight loss – but also in other areas of life.
Related publications:
Hi, I am Carrie dennett; Mph, rdn, a weight-inclusive Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Therapist and body image consultant. I help adults of all ages, shapes, sizes and sexes who want to escape from disturbed food or chronic diet, Learn how to Manage IBS symptoms with food, or Improve their dietary and lifestyle habits to help manage A current health concern or just support them overall health and prosperity. This post is only for information purposes and is not a personalized diet or medical advice.
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