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Weight or Happy Weight?

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Weight or Happy Weight?

How much weight do you really need to lose?

Maybe you've been struggling—without success—to get down to the size you were in high school or on your wedding day. But do you really need to go that low? The truth, experts say, is that you can weigh more than your ideal weight and still be healthy (not to mention happy).

If you're overweight, losing just 10 percent of your body weight is associated with a myriad of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar and reducing your risk for heart disease. Not only that, experts say, but this kind of weight loss is easier to attain and maintain, setting you up for success in the long run.

Your Weight "Set Point"

Just as your body temperature is programmed to stay around 98.6 degrees, your body weight is naturally regulated to stay within a range of 10 to 20 percent, says Thomas Wadden, PhD, director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at University of Pennsylvania Medical School. This weight range is known as the "set point."

A complex set of hormones, chemicals and hunger signals help your body naturally maintain your weight within this range, says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD.

It is not just a matter of genetics, though. Your eating and exercise habits can also help to determine your set point.

"Overeating swamps the internal regulatory system, and, as a result, the set point increases—which is much easier to do than it is to lower it," says Wadden. The body adjusts to the higher weight and "resets" the set point to defend the new weight.

It is difficult, but not impossible, to set your range lower. "With changes in healthy eating and exercise behavior, you can lower your set point," says Blatner.


As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.

SOURCES: Thomas Wadden, PhD, director, Center for Weight and Eating Disorders, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Blackburn, G. and Cordiss, J. Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off, Harper Collins, 2008.

Reviewed on May 23, 2008 by Louise Chang, MD

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