For most of us, \u201close weight\u201d has likely been on our list of New Year\u2019s resolutions more than once.<\/p>\n
While a well-balanced diet and physical activity are important to a long and healthy life, in 2026 we want to focus less on numbers and more on feeling our best. And that begins with understanding what \u201chealthy\u201d means to each individual.<\/p>\n
Before the scale became popularized in the late 1700s, weight was not equated with health, explains Erica Lewis MS, RD, CD, health promotion program manager with the Pediatric Wellness<\/a> program at Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n But as access to scales grew, so did our focus on numbers and comparing ours to those around us.<\/p>\n Created nearly 200 years ago to measure populations for statistical reasons, the body mass index (BMI) has since more commonly been used to assess if an individual was underweight, normal, overweight or obese, based on their height and weight. Since its creation, researchers have come to understand its many shortcomings \u2014 BMI doesn\u2019t account for other aspects of the body like muscle versus fat, or body composition differences between genders and races.<\/p>\n There are also a number of health risks for those striving to live in the lowest BMI ranges, Lewis adds, which is where many celebrities and public figures fall into.<\/p>\n \u201cMany individuals feel pressure to conform to a certain standard around weight,\u201d says Jeff Eisen, MD, MBA, president and chief medical officer of MultiCare Behavioral Health Network. \u201cThat is certainly exacerbated by media and especially social media, which presents many unrealistic views of body image and weight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe best-known environmental contributor to the development of eating disorders is the sociocultural idealization of thinness,\u201d according to data collected by the National Eating Disorder Association<\/a> (NEDA).<\/p>\n NEDA reports that by age six, girls especially start to express concerns about their own weight or shape, and by elementary school age, 40 to 60 percent of girls are concerned about weight.<\/p>\n \u201cWeight stigma is the biggest health risk of all for a person in a larger body,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cThe constant societal drone that thin is superior and a larger body is a personal failure can be a constant stressor. Comments like \u2018I\u2019m so fat\u2019 or \u2018I need to diet\u2019 are common in our every day speak, but those are what\u2019s perpetuating weight stigma.<\/p>\n A person\u2019s approach to weight and body image is everything, says Shobhana Gaur, MD<\/a>, non-surgical weight loss specialist with the MultiCare Rockwood Clinic Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur society is blame and shame \u2013\u2014 this person is lazy, not exercising,\u201d she says. \u201cBut what I\u2019m seeing with patients more and more is that it\u2019s not their fault. It\u2019s genetics, joint problems, socioeconomic status or their environment affecting their gene expression. But we tend to think it is their fault.\u201d<\/p>\n A major driver in the fight against weight stigma is the body positivity movement. Based on the fat acceptance movement of the late 1960s, it was led predominantly by Black and feminist activists to end weight shaming and discrimination.<\/p>\n While no ideology is perfect, there are many ways people can find space and support within the movement.<\/p>\n According to NEDA, there are three general ideas around body image:<\/p>\n Dr. Eisen says a major aspect of body positivity is recognizing the many attributes we bring to the world outside of our physical being.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reframing happens when you think holistically about a human and everything that you bring to the table, despite what society may place an emphasis on,\u201d he says. \u201cWe think less about weight specifically and focus on wellness. How can we be the best in our own lives \u2014 socially, professionally, mentally and physically?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, healthy is body and mind, not necessarily a number or being \u2018skinny,\u2019\u201d Dr. Gaur says. \u201cHow you feel is very important. I see people with higher BMIs who are doing so well in life and following a healthy and active lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Gaur explains that when she first meets with a patient, they assess any other medical conditions and talk about goals. For those with comorbidities, she emphasizes addressing those first, as they can damage the body in other more aggressive ways.<\/p>\n Oftentimes we want to set high goals, she says, like losing a set number or dropping sizes, but she encourages patients to start simple \u2014 5 to 10 percent of a person\u2019s body weight because that\u2019s when you start to feel changes.<\/p>\n Once we feel that positive momentum, it\u2019s easier to see what works for our bodies, Dr. Gaur says. Then we can address ripple effects, such as the impact on other health conditions, lifestyle and mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cMental health plays an incredibly important role on our overall health and well-being,\u201d says Dr. Eisen. \u201cSometimes we might think that behavioral health is separated from physical health, but that isn\u2019t the case. Mental health affects our physical well-being, and vice versa.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, people living with depression may eat more while others may lose their appetite entirely, he says. Or those with anxiety can experience stomach pain or gastrointestinal problems that result in lessened appetite, while others may use food as a coping mechanism.<\/p>\n When we\u2019re not giving our bodies enough fuel, it sends us a message to eat. We can overpower those thoughts for a period, Lewis explains, but our bodies are sophisticated and will find ways to keep or gain the weight it needs. That\u2019s why people struggle with restrictive diets and find themselves yo-yoing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more you diet, the more your body fears that it will be starved again,\u201d she says. \u201cLosing weight gets harder and you have to do more extreme things. Focus on feeding your body regularly and well-rounded meals.\u201d<\/p>\n Lewis also emphasizes that filling, nutritious diets need to fit your lifestyle. Eat what you can afford, have access to and can fit into your schedule \u2014 you don\u2019t need to spend all your money and time on Sunday meal-prepping \u201csuper food\u201d lunches.<\/p>\n According to NEDA, more than half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking, vomiting or laxatives.<\/p>\n Seeing the impact that unhealthy relationships with food and body image can have from a young age is major reason why Lewis’ team at Mary Bridge Children\u2019s has focused their pediatric wellness program on the feeding relationship, as outlined in the 5 Keys to Feeding Well<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n From a young age, her team encourages the approach that parents are responsible for what, when and where<\/strong>, while the child is responsible for how much and whether <\/strong>they will eat.<\/p>\n Lewis says it all comes down to trust and providing, not restricting. Children learn to trust they will receive regular meals with at least one thing on the table they like and a pleasant, nondemanding experience with new foods. In response, parents can trust their child to eat what they need, while slowly learning to try new things.<\/p>\n As kids develop their own relationship with food and body image, influence positivity by tuning in to kids\u2019 negative comments and challenging their harmful beliefs. Trusted adults represent a child\u2019s support network, and their words matter. That role modeling reminds us to monitor our own language regarding weight and body image around children, she adds. Don\u2019t praise weight loss, and try using terms like \u201cliving in a larger body\u201d rather than \u201coverweight.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to set a goal around health for the new year \u2014 whether that\u2019s weight or any other aspect \u2014 talk with your primary care physician first, Dr. Eisen says. MultiCare provides many resources for improving one\u2019s life in all aspects.<\/p>\n And of course, give yourself grace. Health journeys are not linear, he says. There will be days of progress and days of setback, but taking it one day at a time will create a pattern for success.<\/p>\n \u201cOur society works against us because it is one filled with opportunities for instant gratification,\u201d Dr. Eisen explains. \u201cLong-term wellness and mental health are a process, not something that happens overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n One way to combat weight stigma and promote body positivity and whole-body approaches to well-being is by talking about it in healthy, inclusive and honest ways.\u00a0Our adult and child nutrition teams have put together a supportive list of relevant websites, podcasts and blogs on the topic.<\/p>\n For most of us, \u201close weight\u201d has likely been on our list of New Year\u2019s resolutions more than once. While a well-balanced diet and physical activity are important to a long and healthy life, in 2026 we want to focus less on numbers and more on feeling our best. And that begins with understanding what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":115,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-nutrition-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStigma and blame<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Body positivity<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Whole-body wellness<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Body positivity principles<\/h3>\n
\n
3 habits for a fulfilling life<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Diets aren\u2019t sustainable<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Start habits young<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Give yourself grace and support<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Nutritious feeding for parents and families<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Weight inclusive nutrition for adults\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
On body image and health at every size\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n