We live in a weight obsessed culture where, as women in particular, we often feel we cannot (succeed, live life fully, express ourselves, talk in public, etc) until we have lost weight. How disempowering is that- just when we need women to really step into their place in the world, so many are paralysed by the weight issue. So they live in postponement, first they need to lose weight, THEN they can be happy and live the life they really want to live.

The internalised messages of needing to be in a particular sized body are very strong in our culture. And extremely damaging to women's mental health and wellbeing.

The science says that eating well, exercising in ways that feel good, and managing stress, are equally beneficial for everyone, no matter our weight. The science also says that people who carry some extra weight (BMI 25-30) actually live longer and have better recovery from chronic illness such as cancer. Yet we always focus on the weight. Losing weight doesn't necessarily bring health, in fact it is quite stressful on the body, and plenty of weight loss diets are deficient in balanced nutrients, and they are not a sustainable way to eat. They train us to be obsessive around food. What if we focused on self-care and health, and let the weight look after itself?

And, what if we lived the life we really want to live NOW, and didn't wait till we lost weight? What if we said fuck it, this is my one precious life, I am not going to listen to the culturally derived voices in my head that tell me I am not good enough, that somehow I am flawed and less than adequate, because of the number of fat cells in my body? (which we actually have far less control over than most realise).

Is it really true we will be happier when we have lost those extra kilos?

Nowadays I run a weight- neutral, non-diet focused Naturopathic practice, that supports women to have a healthy relationship with food by listening to their own hunger cues, to nourish and nurture themselves appropriately with self-care, and heal from chronic health issues.