How the Weight-Loss Industry Profits on Shame Flashcards
Diet
The type/amount of food one consumes
Weight loss industry
Valued at $72 billion in the US
US adult obesity rate
42.4%
Main Points of 2011 study funded by Weight Watchers
- Dieters in weight watchers los 2x more weight than control group
- This sounds good, BUT study was only 12 months; this is NOT long enough to assess long term weight loss
- The success rate declines as time progresses!
Selection bias
Selection of participants is not random, causes error when representing a population, not accurate representation
For example, this study skews industry data toward success stories, almost all of them short-term
Noom
Weight loss program that offers behavior modification
- Their statistics exclude people who were not active on the app –> selection bias
- Statistics only study 1 year –> not long enough to assess long term weight loss
The Biggest Loser: Reality tv show in which obese individuals underwent strict dieting and exercise to win a prize
- Unsustainable weight loss
- Imposes shame on participants
- Some gained weight, weighed more than when they started the show
- This show is an example of how the industry capitalizes on shaming people, through putting them on a spectacle
Lizzo: Popular singer/rapper/flutist
- She celebrates her larger size and encourages others to do so too
The public backlash on her demonstrates concern trolling –> the kind of shame where the shamer both denies and defends their opinion that someone is fat
It demonstrates that these commentors perceive people to have never tried dieting, as well as their ignorance in believing that being fat is a choice
Key Points of Reading
- The shame dieting industry makes money off knowing that you will feel shame about not seeing your goals played out, which causes you to continue within the dieting industry
- Only used information of people who stuck to this program (selection bias), but most of these people actually gained the weight back over the next few years
