A new year brings a fresh start, which is why almost 50% of Americans will make New Year’s resolutions. Many of these resolutions revolve around “health,” but generally through the very narrow lens of weight loss. While other aspects of health are sometimes acknowledged when it comes to setting resolutions for the new year, for most people, shrinking their body is a priority.
Self-improvement in the new year therefore usually means cutting out food groups, nutrients, ingredients or calories. Ironically, our weight is something about our health that we have very little control over. Trying to lose weight for health is neither helpful nor effective, as research shows us that the majority of people gain back any weight they lose, and two-thirds of those people gain back more than they lost.
And despite everyone’s good intentions, only 8% of people actually manage to follow through with their resolutions. This is due, in large part, to the fact that many resolutions are restrictive, not realistic for a person’s lifestyle and are focused on weight loss.
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