You've written a thought provoking post. I found Weight Watchers enormously useful in terms of teaching me to pay attention to caloric, fat and fiber content of food, which in my humble opinion is basic common sense, and much needed information given a world where over-abundance of calories and fat is the norm and yet our bodies are still wired for the caveman days of scarcity. The weekly weigh-in's, on the other hand, were embarassing psychobabble to me, although they appeared to help some people stay motivated and I don't knock it if it works for them. I would usually just get weighed and then leave - strange to pay money for that, but I also found the discipline useful.
For most people I think "losing weight" is a proxy for "getting healthier" first and foremost, with "becoming more attractive" as a distant second. At least that is the case for me. It is curious that in the name of losing weight we have created such dubious segments of the food industry like diet soda, "low fat" factory processed garbage and the Atkins diet, all of which, in my mind, are almost certainly counterproductive. I'd much rather eat a little butter, which people have been eating for thousands of years and we know what it's going to do to us (even if it's not all good), then stick some factory-processed fat substitute concoction in my mouth that for all I know we'll find out in 20 years is actually poison.
What I find most astonishing is that some people actually believe that there really is a small number of chemicals that are causing the good or bad effects of a certain food and that our current level of science can determine this (and "correct" the food) -- even though the track record when it comes to nutrition and health really shows just the opposite.
I can't make up my mind as to whether this is a natural tendency towards wanting a simple solution or our societal indoctrinization that scientists are always right.
My guess is it's mostly laziness, and the desire for a quick easy fix. If it was the scientist thing we wouldn't still be arguing about "intelligent design."
One thing I forgot to mention - I never lose weight by exercising, and yet (unless I seriously overdo it) it makes me feel like I am becoming healthier.
My personal experience is that weightlifting doesn't drop the scale number for me. Whether that is because I'm gaining muscle & losing fat, or because I'm eating more to compensate whatever gains I got, I'm not sure.
Funny thing for me is that cardio doesn't drop the scale either for me. Perhaps I compensate by eating more. But for me the simple truth seems to be I don't lose weight unless I eat less. I actually think that supports your point that focusing on the number alone is bad. As we all know being anorexic or bulemic lowers the number but it can also kill you.
I honestly think that, for me, doing aerobics only lowers my weight because when I'm about to stuff something into my face, I look at it and think "is this worth an extra 10 minutes on the stairmaster". So, it isn't the aerobics per se, but rather, but that the mindset permeates my life and I start to think about healthier choices in everything.
For most people I think "losing weight" is a proxy for "getting healthier" first and foremost, with "becoming more attractive" as a distant second. At least that is the case for me. It is curious that in the name of losing weight we have created such dubious segments of the food industry like diet soda, "low fat" factory processed garbage and the Atkins diet, all of which, in my mind, are almost certainly counterproductive. I'd much rather eat a little butter, which people have been eating for thousands of years and we know what it's going to do to us (even if it's not all good), then stick some factory-processed fat substitute concoction in my mouth that for all I know we'll find out in 20 years is actually poison.
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I can't make up my mind as to whether this is a natural tendency towards wanting a simple solution or our societal indoctrinization that scientists are always right.
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My guess is it's mostly laziness, and the desire for a quick easy fix. If it was the scientist thing we wouldn't still be arguing about "intelligent design."
One thing I forgot to mention - I never lose weight by exercising, and yet (unless I seriously overdo it) it makes me feel like I am becoming healthier.
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