MyObesityTeam conducted a survey in late 2019 with 159 individuals in the United States who were diagnosed by a doctor as being obese or overweight. MyObesityTeam asked respondents about:

• The physical, social, and emotional impact that weight has on their lives.
• The health implications of being obese or overweight.
• Ways they have tried to lose weight.

MyObesityTeam shares the research results of our member surveys so our community can learn, collectively, from each others’ experiences.

Many studies have pointed to the importance of healthy eating for overall health and well-being. Eating right can lead to better heart health, fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, and fewer incidences of cancer, and it can help with mood.

“Non-scale victories” refer to positive feelings and accomplishments people have when they are taking steps to take care of their weight. These victories are ways of measuring positive changes beyond just the number on the scale. Non-scale victories can mean clothes fitting better, fewer symptoms such as back pain or shortness of breath, or just feeling better in general.

Respondents in the survey were given a hypothetical question about how they think they would know if a medication for weight loss was working. They cited many non-scale victories, like clothes fitting better or feeling more energetic, in addition to factors like losing a certain percentage of body weight or a decrease in body measurements.

Read more about results from the MyObesityTeam survey:

• Symptoms Beyond What You See in the Mirror
• Common Health Conditions For Those Who Are Overweight or Obese
• No One Way to Lose Weight
• The Impact of Obesity on Emotions and Social Behavior

How do you think you would notice weight loss? Which changes matter the most to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

References

1. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 - The Lancet
2. Nutrition and cancer: a review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet - Nutrition Journal
3. Healthy food choices are happy food choices: Evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments. - Scientific Reports