Established by Professor Francie Berg, the Healthy Weight Network has designated January19-25 as Healthy Weight Week. The Healthy Weight Network was developed in 1986 and is the proponent of achieving a healthy weight through the attainment of a healthy lifestyle. This organization does not subscribe to fad diets, new weight loss diet trends, or the types of gimmickry commonplace in today’s marketplace. Professor Berg has published 13 books dealing with the subject of weight loss and health. The organization she chairs has a scientific but humanistic approach to weight management that encourages healthy choices, physical activity, improved lifestyle dynamics, and self-acceptance. The Healthy Weight Network does not encourage the use of diets in the attainment of your normal weight.
The 21st annual Healthy Weight Week is an opportunity to encourage healthy living practices devoid of diets that can provide life-long results without the concerns for serious health harms. During this week, the organization hopes to gain momentum for their philosophy: “Our bodies cannot be shaped at will. But we can all be accepting, healthy and happy at our natural weights.”
During Healthy Weight Week, there will be various events planned, some of which include, “Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day”, the “Slim Chance Awards” that provides an award for the worst weight loss product, and “Women’s Healthy Weight Day and Awards” which includes the “Healthy Body Image Awards.”
The media often focuses on obesity problems and the pressure of staying thin, especially for women. “The Womens’ Healthy Weight awards aim to change that message by encouraging advertisers and television producers to portray healthy, active women in a wider range of sizes,” they note. I could not agree more with this point!
“Surprisingly, research at our own national Centers of Disease Control shows the ‘healthiest’ weight is in a broad range from a body mass index of 22 up to 40. It’s the weight at which people live the longest. The overweight category is smack in the middle of this, and it extends out both ways, even into obesity grades 1 and 2. Most Americans are within this healthy weight range,” said Berg. In my opinion, I would have some very serious reservations regarding this comment as I certainly do not agree with this statement.
Professor Berg has also suggested that “the thinness ideal causes a great deal of pain and unhealthy behavior in women. Research shows it fosters eating disorders and body image disturbance.” Once again, I could not agree more with this statement for obvious reasons.
In my view, the process that the Healthy Weight Network advocates is one I can support and I am very interested in their attempts during Healthy Weight Week to place the weight and diet industry under the scrutiny it rightfully deserves. I also support this organization’s role in the encouragement of a healthy body weight without the use of diets, fads, or gimmicks rather an emphasis placed upon the attainment of a healthy lifestyle.
To find out more about Healthy Weight Week or the organization that sponsors it, check out the Healthy Weight Network here.
Sources:
“Healthy Weight Week,” Healthy Weight Network web site;http://www.healthyweight.net/hww.htm#women,last accessed January 13, 2014.