Warding off weight gain is hard enough–but now new research reveals a common way your family could undo your hard progress.
Research from Renison University College at the University of Waterloo reveals that women who were nagged by friends or family members about their weight gained 4.5 pounds on average–whereas those who had received positive comments about their weight did not.
As for the reasons why, researchers say receiving positive messages helped women feel more positive–encouraging them to continue their healthy eating and fitness habits.
“When we feel bad about our bodies, we often turn to loved ones–families, friends and romantic partners–for support and advice,” says Professor Christine Logel, who teaches social development studies at Renison University College. “How they respond can have a bigger effect than we might think. We all know someone who points out our weight gain or offers to help us lose weight. These results suggest that these comments are misguided.”
For the study, researchers recruited a group of university-age women to evaluate their own feelings about their weight–a demographic shown to have higher rates of body dissatisfaction. To begin the study, researchers measured their height and weight while quizzing them about how they felt about their weight which, not surprisingly, showed many of them were unhappy about their weight.
Five months later, researchers quizzed them again–but this time asked them if they had talked to their friends or family members about their weight.
Three months later, researchers measured their weight again to see if any changes occurred.
As it turned out, the women who had received criticism about their weight ended up gaining more weight–although researchers point out that most of the women in the group gained weight regardless of the criticism they received. Receiving this sort of criticism had the most damaging impact on their weight, however: They gained 4.5 more pounds on average.
“On average, the women in the study were at the high end of Health Canada’s BMI recommendations, so the healthiest thing is for them to maintain the weight they have and not be so hard on themselves,” says Logel. “But many of the women were still very concerned about how much they weigh, and most talked to their loved ones about it.”
In addition to these findings, Logel discovered an interesting statistic. For those whose friends or family members were supportive of their weight, they were more likely to feel better about their body shape and engage in healthy eating and fitness practices. However, when these women received criticism instead–such as being told they were “too fat”–they engaged in more unhealthy behaviors.
To Logel, it’s proof that criticism–even well-guided remarks–end up hurting more than helping.
“Lots of research finds that social support improves our health,” says Logel. “An important part of social support is feeling that our loved ones accept us just the way we are.”
What This Means For You
While controlling what our friends or family members say is impossible, the study reveals an important fact: Having social support keeps you thin. If you’re trying to lose weight, or just trying to maintain your weight, finding a good social support system, whether that’s by joining a weight loss group, looking for support online, or finding more supportive friends, could make it easier to stick to your healthy eating habits.
Readers: How does your family support your weight loss goals?
Sources:
Family Criticizing Your Weight? You Might Add More Pounds – ScienceDaily.com
Criticism From Family About Your Weight Could Make You Gain More Pounds – UWaterloo.ca
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