Dietitian: Weight Loss is a Path to Better Health, Not Just a Battle with Kilograms

Dietitian Edita Gavelienė advises that the primary challenge in treating obesity is a narrow focus on weight reduction, often overshadowing the goal of improving overall health. She notes that individuals frequently concentrate solely on the number on the scale, forgetting that the true aim of obesity treatment should be enhanced health, not just a lower weight.

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When fighting kilograms, people often forget themselves. All energy is directed towards losing weight, although the most important thing should be the health of the entire organism. Properly treating obesity can improve it, but if one only thinks about kilograms, it can harm not only physical but also psychological well-being.

"When fighting kilograms, people often forget themselves," Gavelienė stated. "All energy is directed towards losing weight, although the most important thing should be the health of the entire organism. Properly treating obesity can improve it, but if one only thinks about kilograms, it can harm not only physical but also psychological well-being."

Gavelienė also addresses the societal pressure to conform to ideals, amplified by social media, which often equates thinness with success. She stresses that this is a misconception, and one can be successful and healthy with a body mass that is conducive to health, even if not thin. She points out that thinness itself is not a health indicator, as both underweight and overweight can be detrimental. Furthermore, a visually slim person might still have excess adipose tissue, particularly around internal organs, which increases the risk of fatty liver and other organ issues, often due to imbalanced diet and lifestyle factors.

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Social media often creates an illusion that thinness is a synonym for success. However, this is not true. One can be not thin, have a body mass favorable to health, and be successful and healthy.

The dietitian further explains that a healthy relationship with food begins not with prohibitions but with a balanced approach. The pursuit of societal thinness standards can distort one's relationship with food, leading to a focus on "can" and "cannot" rules rather than natural hunger and satiety signals. This can create guilt over minor deviations and turn eating into a constant self-evaluation. Gavelienė emphasizes that nutrition is not an exam and that food choices should not induce stress. The priority should be creating a daily routine where individuals feel they are doing what is best for their well-being, ensuring their diet provides essential nutrients.

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Nutrition is not an exam. Eating a food product should not cause tension. The most important thing is to create a daily routine where a person feels that they are doing what is truly best for them every day.