KWWL.com - News & Weather for Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, Iowa | Shame vs. weight loss

By Megan Wiley
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a would-be candidate for president, caught flak from comedians and political pundits about his weight. Some commentators called him unfit to lead the country. When Christie announced his decision not to run in 2012 at an October 2011 press conference, he spoke out about weight bias

"To say that because you're overweight, you are therefore undisciplined, you know, I don't think undisciplined people get to achieve great positions in our society," the New York Times quoted Christie saying. His words underlined the fact that plenty of accomplished and disciplined leaders are overweight or obese. Of weight bias, Christie said, "That kind of stuff is just ignorant."

But Christie has also acknowledged in public interviews that he feels guilty about his weight. And for some people who'd like to get more fit, feelings of guilt and shame, reinforced by insensitive comments from others, can be paralyzing. In fact, a study done by researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that among more than 2,400 overweight women who participated in the research, three-quarters coped with weight stigma by, among other things, eating and refusing to diet.

"The whole idea with obesity is we want to have support," says Dave Gluhareff, a personal trainer who works with overweight and obese clients and has lost 100 pounds himself. Gluhareff is the founder of the Virginia Boot Camp fitness and weight-loss program in Danville, Virginia, and he suggests the following tactics that some of his clients have found helpful in getting past their feelings of shame and self-consciousness.

Find a group activity.

"I have groups of boot campers, and some of us are close in age and some of us are not; it doesn't matter if you're 400 pounds or 120 pounds, we all have this one thing in common, that we're all working hard to get in shape or stay in shape," Gluhareff says. One of the benefits of group activities, he adds, is that oldtimers often take the newcomers under their wings and help them feel welcomed, easing intimidation. "It's like a big family, a community."

Hire a personal trainer, if your budget allows it, and find one whose style is a fit for you.

"My passion for what I do is because of where I was and the weight I've lost. Not every trainer's going to have that mentality," Gluhareff says. Whether it's an experience like weight loss that you have in common or something else that helps you connect, make sure you find a trainer you can have a comfortable working relationship with. Many personal trainers will come to your home or work with you one-on-one at their studios, giving you privacy while you get in shape.

Refocus on non-visual and non-weight loss goals.

"I have a 6-year-old and a 22-month-old," says Gluhareff. "They're the loves of my life. I can't take them down the ski slopes if I'm out of shape. It's not about vanity, it's not about looks, it's just about strength." Shifting your goal from losing weight to being able to be active in your everyday life, even if that just means hauling a laundry basket up a flight of stairs, can ease the pressure.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

If some of your feelings of shame come from not succeeding with exercise and weight loss in the past, consider that you might have been a very successful exerciser, but needed to round that out with other things that would help you lose weight or get more fit. Gluhareff recommends a three-part plan that puts equal emphasis on exercise, nutrition and adequate sleep and relaxation. Someone who reaches a healthy balance in at least two of those areas will often start to see better results in the third, he says, which may lead to more self-confidence and more motivation to keep exercising.

View the original  Shame vs. weight loss article on myOptumHealth.com

SOURCES:

All About Obesity: Obesity Stigma. Obesity Action Coalition. Accessed: 10/27/2011

Puhl, Rebecca M. and Brownell, Kelly D. Confronting and Coping with Weight Stigma: An Investigation of Overweight and Obese Adults. Obesity. 2006;14(10): 1,802-1,815. Accessed: 11/19/2011

Overweight and Obesity: Adult Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed: 10/27/2011

Weight Bias: The Need for Public Policy. Rudd Report, 2008: 2-3. Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, Yale University. Accessed: 10/27/2011