Obesity is a subject that a lot of people would rather not discuss as it can be a very sensitive subject from the view of the person suffering from it. It is important that if you have a loved one, family member or friend who is obese or perhaps gaining a lot of weight, that you address this with them to help them pro-actively manage their weight before it starts to seriously affect their health.
How do I approach them about their weight problem?
This is usually the question asked by someone before they discuss weight with that person; even some GP’s and doctors are still in the dark about how to deal with this ever increasing problem here in Australia.
There are several ways you can address this issue with your loved one and we’re going to explore them in this blog:
Weight Management Instead of Weight Loss
The first step is to address a person’s weight or weight gain… instead of telling them they are overweight and need to do something about it, try the approach of asking them how they feel about their weight. This is a great way to open up the conversation that can then lead to positive suggestions for improving lifestyle and managing weight. It’s important to avoid shame statements, such as “what size are you now”, as people with weight problems are usually already very ashamed of their weight and this can often result in further negative behaviour.
Managing weight is more appealing than weight loss, and can also take away a lot of the negative feelings of disappointment when weight loss isn’t being achieved or weight is gained. If a person believes that they can manage their weight then they are more likely to be successful at losing weight.
Small Steps Towards Success
It’s important that the person who is overweight understands that even a small amount of weight loss can have long-term positive effects on their overall health and wellbeing, and not to be discouraged if it is taking longer than they expect. By setting achievable goals this allows a person to feel as if they have accomplished something and give them the drive to continue on their weight loss journey.
It’s important to consider different lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise and how small changes in both can make a big difference. For example cutting sugar from your morning coffee, or getting off the train a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way home. These small changes add up and are easy to suggest and implement.
Get Everybody Involved
If you’re having the conversation about weight with somebody you have already acknowledged that it is a concern and that action really does need to be taken. The best way you can help them is not only by supporting them during the process, but also taking positive steps yourself such as:- exercising with them, or the whole family choosing to eat a healthier diet, not singling them out as the only one needing to make the change. Choosing to take the stairs instead of the lift and encouraging them to join you doing so, for example.
One of our doctors, Dr Georgia Rigas, has a video you can watch also giving a summary on this subject. If you are struggling with how to approach someone about their weight, you can always speak to your GP for advice or to the person’s GP who can then bring it up with them during their next consultation.
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