Weight loss or Fat loss….not the same thing!
There is no doubt losing excess weight has a great impact on reducing your risk of long-term negative health conditions and adopting one of the many calorie restrictive diets can have positive impacts to initial weight loss. However, addressing your core behaviours around food consumption, that you have unconsciously and routinely formed, over many years (in some cases) should be a priority to make those long-term sustainable changes.
It’s important to recognise there are many factors at play that contribute to excess weight. Firstly, you have a stronger tendency to being overweight from your genetic makeup that is passed down through families(Ref). This means that some individuals are biologically more susceptible to gaining weight due to inherited traits, regardless of lifestyle choices. It is recognised that body weight is influenced by a complex interplay of factors beyond just food choices and physical activity. A variety of elements can contribute to weight gain, including the built environment—such as limited access to safe places for exercise or healthy food options—and medical disorders that affect metabolism or hormone levels (Ref). The gut microbiome also plays a key role in weight regulation (Ref). Additionally, certain viruses have been linked to increased body fat, and some medications can cause weight gain as a side effect (Ref). Lifestyle factors like sleep deprivation and chronic stress can disrupt appetite and metabolism, while hormonal changes during menopause can lead to increased fat storage (Ref). Our bodies rely on built-in feedback systems to regulate various physiological processes. There are many hormones that interplay with each other to control causes of weight gain. Leptin, one of the most influential hormones, helps control hunger and energy expenditure. However, when this feedback loop is disrupted, leptin’s ability to suppress appetite is diminished, reducing the signal to curb feelings of hunger (Ref). Even environmental toxins may interfere with the body's ability to regulate weight effectively (Ref).
A recent study found that up to 10%, or approximately 30 million people, in the US have a normal body mass index (BMI) but a high body fat percentage (Ref). Another study from Brazil found that two thirds of normal weight women having a high body fat of over 30% (Ref). Everyone’s goal should be to maintain a healthy body weight, however striving to have that ‘normal BMI’ may not be a great indicator for health. While BMI is a reliable indicator of health risks in large-scale population studies—and obesity is linked to increased risk for many types of cancer and various chronic diseases—individual health outcomes are more nuanced. Your metabolic health plays a significant role in shaping personal risk profiles beyond what BMI alone can reveal. Even with a BMI under 25, you may still carry excess body fat and lack sufficient muscle mass. If that fat is concentrated around your waist and deep in the abdomen—an "apple-shaped" body—it's known as visceral fat. This type is far more a risk factor for adverse health conditions than fat stored around the hips or thighs ("pear-shaped"), and it can significantly disrupt your metabolic health. This pattern of excess visceral fat can set the stage for a range of metabolic issues, even if BMI looks normal. It may lead to insulin resistance, reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, and even muscle loss—all of which contribute to an unhealthy internal environment.
There is lots to consider. That’s why having the support of an expert who can support your journey to improving your health can be the vital cog in making those long-term sustainable changes.
