This week, I released an article that will probably trigger many “health enthusiasts.”  In the post, “Too Much of a Good Thing? The Dangers of Obsessing on Diet and Weight Loss,” I discussed the overlooked dangers that occur when dietary practices and fitness are viewed through an obsessive and moralistic lens.

Although I still subscribe to the belief that food can be medicine and movement is important for health, when taken to the extreme these two factors can turn into medical weapons not nourishing tools.

In this 10-minute video I discuss:

1. How food and movement can modulate our cellular function and optimize our health based on the concept of epigenetics.
2. That various other aspects can modulate our DNA expression for the better, or worse, and they may have more lasting impacts than diet and exercise. These include:
   • beliefs
   • cultural norms
   • relationships
3. The problem with viewing weight and obesity as a “disease” and the stigma it creates for those with larger body sizes regarding peer acceptance, bullying, and medical care.
4. How prejudices against those with larger body sizes are associated with the very inflammatory markers blamed on their “obesity.” (This points to the flaws in associative studies and the need for unbiased healthcare for all.)
5. The negative effects of militant approaches to dietary principles on an individual’s social relationships, emotional health, and eating behaviors and the healing that can occur when food is once again linked to community, connection, and nourishment.
6. How chronic diseases are not being mitigated by the “war on obesity.”
7. The importance of finding your own morals, health goals, and fitness levels based on what you feel is important, not on my or any “experts’” opinions.
8. A plea to health care practitioners to focus more on health over idealized body images and provide equal opportunity medicine.
9. A request for fitness gurus to realize that as their way of life is being honored by society, I am asking that we also respect that health can also be used as means, not an end goal.
10. An invitation for all of us to equally value the passions and priorities of individuals that are not related to achieving body perfection and idealized thinness and that we support everyone in achieving their goals for their own highest wellness potential.

Please feel free to share your comments below.

Additional resources, references, and studies on this topic can be found in the original article here.