Diet books, weight-loss ads, magazine articles and online blogs across the world have been “helping” us manage our weight for decades, but most of them offer one-size-fits-all solutions. There is no “best diet” or easy approach that works for everyone, and that’s why so many of us are tired of riding the roller coaster with our weight.
Health from All Angles
Robert Kushner, MD, is a nationally-renowned obesity medicine physician that volunteers much of his time with the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). He actively sees thousands of patients throughout the Northwestern Medicine Center for Lifestyle Medicine in Chicago. Instead of recommending that they try a certain diet or “eat less and move more,” Dr. Kushner encourages people to look at weight management through a broader lens.
“Most food-focused diet plans can help people lose weight, but because they’re so restrictive and often don’t address other lifestyle and mindset issues, they don’t equip people with tools for when life gets in the way,” says Dr. Kushner.
This is what led Dr. Kushner to write his now-popular and acclaimed book Six Factors to Fit: Weight-loss that Works for You. While we won’t go into details about the book for the purposes of this post, we wanted to pull out a few fascinating snippets which highlight other factors that may be affecting your weight.
Six Factors to Fit
Through his published research, Dr. Kushner identified the following six factors that are major barriers to long-term weight management. These factors can easily get in the way of managing weight and moving forward in life.
- All or Nothing Doer – Someone who tends to be a black or white thinker when it comes to trying to lose weight. This person may be “all in” or wonder, “Why bother?”
- Easily Enticed Eater – Someone who struggles with eating temptations. They may also have an emotional connection to food.
- Past Pacer – Someone who feels stressed and struggles with incorporating a healthy lifestyle into a busy life.
- Convenient Diner – Someone who tends to eat out a lot and grabs what is convenient without much planning ahead.
- Exercise Struggler – Someone who is not physically active at the present time because of health restraints, or they just don’t enjoy it.
- Self-Critic – Someone who engages in negative self-talk and may have poor body image and self-esteem.
Creating a Personalized Approach
Once you’ve identified which of these factors you may be struggling with, Dr. Kushner recommends focusing on your problem areas to develop healthier habits that support wellness from a 360-degree angle. This personalized approach can help you figure out what works best for you instead of blindly following typical diet advice given to the masses.
You can take Dr. Kushner’s “Six Factor Quiz” online to discover what factors apply the most to your personal challenges. To learn more about creating a personalized approach and the advice that Dr. Kushner offers, CLICK HERE for a recent article from the OAC.
