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January is the time of year for setting New Year’s resolutions for self-improvement. For many, these might be health-related — eating better, catching up on sleep, reducing how much they drink, exercising more or losing weight.
The values of diet culture are pervasive and include the celebration of weight loss and body manipulation. And with that often comes pressure to conform to unrealistic ideals and the assumption that thinness always represents good health.
As such, New Year’s resolutions connected to our health tend to be hijacked by diet culture. While it’s admirable to invest time and effort into improving one’s health and well-being, it’s counterproductive to decide that the number on a scale, the size of our pants or having defined abs are indicators of success in our pursuit of well-being.
This year, we want to invite people to consider weight- and body-neutral resolutions that prioritize how we feel and function in our bodies and minds and take a more holistic view of health.
A weight-neutral approach to health focuses on pursuing health-promoting behaviours that are under our control, maintaining a positive relationship with movement and eating and challenging negative stereotypes about people in larger bodies.
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Weight-loss resolutions
As researchers of body image issues with our own history of being harmed by diet culture, we tend to avoid New Year’s resolutions because of negative associations. But maybe that’s giving too much power to diet culture. We think there might be a new way to approach resolutions if people do so in a way that promotes self-care (beyond the physical) and holistic well-being.
Firstly, it is important for anyone who has felt disappointed by not achieving success with a previous weight-loss resolution to practise self-compassion and forgiveness. It is completely understandable to set a goal like this in response to the weight-centric messages in our culture.
Secondly, it’s also completely understandable, even predictable, that such resolutions will not lead to lasting change. Research indicates that weight, body size and muscle definition are impacted by numerous factors that are not all under our control.
Thirdly, focusing on our appearance and body size can lead to unhealthy obsessions for some and prove a frustrating focus for others, leading to abandoning healthy behaviours that have many benefits.
Pursuing this kind of weight loss usually compromises our relationship with food in the long term and can set us up for the many physical and psychological downsides of yo-yo dieting or weight cycling. Weight is not a behaviour, and so it’s not an appropriate target for behaviour modification.
A weight-neutral approach
The weight-neutral approach is related to a broader “body-neutral” movement that calls for a holistic view of our entire selves, including social relationships and our own talents and interests, and less of a myopic focus on physical appearance.
Weight-centric approaches start with a goal weight and outer appearance as the focus. Weight-neutral practices, in contrast, start with our internal experience of our body and may include adding movement to improve functionality and fun to our lives, or eating better to feel nourished and satisfied. Research demonstrates this framing can have positive outcomes for our overall well-being.
When we focus on improving health, rather than losing weight, there is a greater likelihood to engage in physical activity long term. And there are improvements to health indicators like improved blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
A weight-neutral approach can also lead to improved mental health, including greater self-compassion and self-esteem.
A body-neutral approach takes an even broader view of well-being to include multiple dimensions of wellness beyond the physical (social, emotional, financial, intellectual, spiritual, vocational, for example), and may be especially healing for people who have struggled with a weight-centric approach in the past.
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Some resoulutions to consider
A weight-neutral resolution could be to walk frequently enough to be able to enjoy a hike in the mountains this summer with family and friends. Another might be to prioritize sleep, learn more about sleep hygiene and perhaps experiment with mindfulness strategies as part of sleep routines.
A more body-neutral goal may be focused on adding more social opportunities, whether it’s committing more regularly to seeing old friends or joining a class or group to find new ones. Or, maybe a goal is to find that volunteering role for a charity or cause that provides greater meaning and purpose in your life.
Diet culture is often about surrendering our decision-making to external guides and experts — a number on a chart, an eating plan, an exercise regimen or an app.
This year, focus on reclaiming your own self in self-improvement and decide what excites you rather than following the scripts and goals offered to us from diet culture. When we broaden our perspective beyond how our bodies look, and consider how we feel in our life and what is important to us, it’s possible that resolutions for the new year can create energy and excitement for what’s to come.
So, give yourself a gift and take care of yourself holistically for the whole year. That is certainly our intention for 2025.
Shelly Russell-Mayhew receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Elizabeth Tingle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
