At the 2016 Healthy Outcomes conference in June, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa, told an audience of plan sponsors about some of the myths around obesity. They include:
1. People can will themselves to lose weight.
2. People can lose more weight by eating less. “The body defends against weight loss and it doesn’t ever let up,” said Freedhoff, who noted metabolism slows down as people lose weight.
3. People can cycle or walk their way out of obesity. Unless someone is cycling an hour or so, “you’re not cycling away a mocha Frappuccino,” said Freedhoff.
4. Cheat days are OK, even for people looking to lose weight. “I don’t cheat on my wife,” said Freedhoff, who noted that suggestions that “you can have a cheat meal and get away with it are problematic.”
5. Weight is a measure of health. “The idea that we can measure health with a scale is a problem,” said Freedhoff, who noted people can see improvements in their health, through lifestyles changes, even if they don’t lose weight.
Read: How to manage obesity in the workplace
As a result, Freedhoff emphasized the impact of lifestyle changes given that obesity is a chronic disease, as well the links between it and issues such as absenteeism and presenteeism. “The cornerstone of everything is lifestyle changes,” said Freedhoff.
Despite the challenges, Freedhoff said he’s optimistic about the issue given developments such as mobile apps that can assist with lifestyle changes and encourage adherence. “I actually think the future is pretty bright here,” he said.
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