Gaining weight, or failing attempts to lose it, is hard enough. The stigma around obesity magnifies the problem. But in researching weight stigma for an article in the new issue of Ignite, Kristen Knepp, Ph.D., an assistant professor of behavioral sciences in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, found some suggestions to help us change our mindsets.
One of the six tips from psychologists that’s highlighted in “Bearing the Weight of the COVID 29” is this: Stop obsessing about the scale. “While this is easier said than done, and sounds somewhat counterintuitive, the more you can focus on the behavioral elements of a healthy lifestyle, rather than body weight itself, the more success you are likely to achieve,” writes Dr. Knepp.
By the way, the article’s title refers to the 29 pounds that 42 percent of respondents to a survey reported having gained during the first year of the pandemic.
This story and others can be found in the Fall 2021 issue of Ignite, NEOMED’s human-interest magazine, available at no charge on issuu.