Healthy At Every Size Is A Load Of Bullsh*t!

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[@locomike102]

As a fat guy who used to be a really fat guy, I can honestly say that losing a lot of weight has improved my life more than any other thing I have ever done. Everything is easier, I have more options for activities and I'm more useful.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Yeah man, it's a big deal. Kudos to you for making it happen. - Dr. Mike

[@angelocarantino4803]

Keep going bro, you got this. It just takes work, time, and the right effort. If you ever forget, remind yourself. Floyd Mayweather would say affirmations during his runs, "Hard work. Dedication. Hard work. Dedication. I'm a one man army. The whole world can go against me, I'll still come out on top. I've got God on my side." You don't have to say that, but never doubt that you have what it takes to do the little things, because over time it's the simple deliberate effort that works. Keep it up bro, never stop 🍷🗿

[@chubbbubb6870]

I'm a fat guy who has become less fat recently, and I can say you are correct. I was 270+ currently 250 at 6 feet tall. I've been building muscle and losing fat. I feel better, sleep better, move better, perform in bed better, look better... It just makes life better across the board. My current long-term goal is sub 20 % body fat and sub 200 pounds. Keep going and know you're not on that road alone.

[@carloscastano3666]

​@@chubbbubb6870Hell yeah bro that's awesome to hear. The more muscle you stack the quicker you're going to melt that fat off. Best advice I could give you is stay active ( doesn't matter what, even if just going for a walk and listen to music), Drink water, eat fiber, and get plenty of protein. You're going to be a hunk before you know. I believe in you.

[@chubbbubb6870]

@@carloscastano3666 appreciate the motivation 💪.

[@huntery3568]

A friend of mine had been very overweight for as long as I'd known him, and by his mid-thirties, though I didn't know it, he had gout and was given around five years to live by his doctor. I never even talked to him about it, but he saw me start spending lots of time in the gym, saw the physical transformation I managed, and went, "I want that." I answered "Hell yeah! Join me, it'll be awesome, I totally need a workout buddy!" We found a gym we could both get to, set up times for training, and he stuck with it like a champ. A year later, he came to the gym and gave me a big high five on behalf of his doc, as the five year estimate was as gone as the gout. A year after that, he hit the threshold for the government to pay for his excess skin to be surgically removed, as he had lost roughly half his total body weight, close to 200 pounds. Of all the stuff I've done in the gym, that is easily my proudest accomplishment.

[@davidshatto7604]

Amazing story that really highlights the fact that a lot of obese people don’t need interventions, just a little nudge and support from people who care. Excellent work by you and your friend!

[@rando9574]

his accomplishment ? your ? wow

[@mrastronaut9078]

@@rando9574let him enjoy it man. He helped his friend change his life. He deserves some of the credit.

[@henrykjohn78]

That's beautiful

[@WujiErTaiji]

I totally agree with the message here. But I have to say that, as someone who lost over 40 KG (88 lbs) and is at ~15% bf now, I don't think there was a single person that told me that I was fat that had my best interest in mind or had been helpful in any way. It was always about making themselves feel superior to you. None of them give me compliments today about the weight I lost, which I don't expect anyone to do, but people that never said a word about me being overweight are now the people that compliment me.

[@TheGeneralpacman]

It's just a "free card" to be asshole, normal people mind their business or try to help and be nice about it.

[@JohnSmith-yx8kf]

I'll take a bet at what this is: you're at 15% bodyfat. They wanted you to get better, but they didn't want you to get better than THEM. Well done dude.

[@julianffan]

people who are overweight know they are. telling them is just rubbing it in, or treating them like they're completely stupid. the whole idea that you have to tell someone what their own body looks like assumes it's something that society doesn't already emphasize and stigmatize, which is bullshit. as if you could ever be unaware of the size of your body in our culture.

[@wolf123450]

Additionally as a fat person, like 90% of fat people already know. We don't need to be told we're fat, and we don't need to be told it's unhealthy. There might be some education needed about how to eat in a way to lose weight, and how to exercise starting at a low level of fitness, but like the biggest thing I can think of right now that would help me is a workout/healthy eating buddy, who never mentions that I'm fat but gives positive support and encouragement when I make healthy choices.

[@thenofxlagwagon]

Complimenting people who lost a bunch of weight is a tricky proposition sometimes. Even knowing it will be taken well, I’m still hesitant most of the time. I’ll tell you though… congratulations! You look great!

[@Rohvannyn]

Thank you for this! At 250ish pounds and 5' 3", I had so many health problems and felt terrible. Now at 160 I still have some to lose but my health is better in every way.

[@DennisNeal88]

As a 5'3 brother, I know the struggles😂 I was 240 and I'm at 170 rn. Keep up the work man you're doing awesome.

[@Rohvannyn]

@@DennisNeal88 Right on! Good going :)

[@enoughisenough670]

King

[@Mysterious_Moon]

Quick recap: The solution to helping people is being compassionate, yet honest. As an ex-obese person, I dealt with denial of lifelong trauma, learning about nutrition/fitness, and stopping self-hate. The order didn’t matter since it is a vicious circle that was built on lies and stories I told myself.

[@brainhakker7133]

You wanna go out ? I mean, are you sure that you're still "Ex-Obese" ?

[@guttsu]

Yep, most people respond better to positive reinforcement and empathy than yelling and denegration. I think too many people just want to be fucking mean, and hide behind the ToUgH LoVe label so they can pretend otherwise. And as has been discussed to death, the anonymity of the internet emboldens them even more. Congrats on your achievements for sure! I'm trying to lose some weight for the first time in my life (at 35 years old), and it's harder than I expected.

[@Mysterious_Moon]

@@brainhakker7133 that sounds great! Reply to this comment with your phone number and address.

[@A-A-RonDavis2470]

@@Mysterious_Moon lol

[@HkFinn83]

Imo you can add into that vicious circle ‘politics’. A lot of the ‘fat acceptance’ crowd, at least from what I’ve seen, are fully convinced the world is against them and persecuting them. Seen it compared to racism more than once😳

[@BaneLyx666]

About 14 months ago I was 335lbs. One day decided to get moving. Today weighed in at 195lbs. The different in ability and mobility is staggering. Since my 20s and all the through my blood work had been and still was very good. I was very aware that this would not last. I had forgotten what it was like to be so physically alive. I am fearful for others and this continued negative ideology causing people so much harm. Being affirmed into such a state of being and thinking it is healthy and will last. We could all do with more self awareness. Videos such as this may help someone take the road better traveled.

[@soanywayistartedblastin8463]

Fuck yeah!!! You got this

[@RacerXKet]

Get it!

[@Ben-zr4ho]

That's some serious progress. But doable!

[@Leadership_matters]

This is so loaded. My doctor was an old man who asked me what kind of care I wanted and I told him I wanted the brutal honesty. I told him all the stuff wrong with me after a few years of surgeries and atrophy. I told him my knees hurt and he said, "lose 40 lbs and your knees will stop hurting." He said he could prescribe me Prednisone and could refer me to physical medicine but most of my problems would go away if I just started moving. And he was right.

[@gamingwhilebroken2355]

My joints did not stop hurting when I lost weight. They hurt less, but they are still a major issue. However after I lost weight they put me on controlled released morphine because in their words, “we have tried everything else and this is the only option left.”

[@centerfield6339]

​@@gamingwhilebroken2355sometimes the damage is done. Sorry to hear about your pain!

[@MsMaybe21]

Motion is lotion! My back and knees hurt so much when I was 20 because I was 60lbs heavier than I should’ve been and I never moved. I was walking only 3k steps a day. Then at 22 I started losing weight and my knees stoped hurting. Then when I got down 30lbs I decided to start working out and lo and behold my back stopped hurting. I’m now 26, still 40lbs down, and trying to get those last 20lbs off but I feel GREAT. I feel like a teenager again. For so long I thought the doctors were fat phobic and that 60lbs overweight wasnt enough to cause such debilitating pain, but I was wrong. It IS enough, especially when you don’t move at all. It makes me feel so sympathetic to people who are 100+lbs overweight because I don’t know how they survive if they are feeling nearly twice the pain of what I was going though.

[@riskyasset1337]

That's an amazing doctor. You're lucky!

[@Edmuresrampantmanhood-dp3jd]

​@@gamingwhilebroken2355You might consider a CBD/THC based topical cream to help alongside the morphine. Dragon balme helps a lot with my sore muscles after a workout.

[@ESFoxwell]

Can 100% confirm that the more people ragged me, the more the inner fat boy in me said "slam a pizza homie" and I hit nearly 450lbs 5 years ago. Health concerns and a really good doctor drove me to get it in check. Still a fat boy at 250lbs but it's a journey.

[@vitamin9165]

Agreed

[@justalurkr]

Looking concern trolls directly in the eye while biting off half a twinkie is a feeling unlike any other. My knees and lower back are pains in my, well, knees and lower back literally, and a$$ figuratively, so I for one am keeping after it. Getting rid of as much extra as you have is nothing to sneeze at, so Don let anyone else side-eye your bad self!

[@BaboonZone]

keep it up man! health is the most important thing

[@jacobm92]

"concern trolls". lol. is this the new cope? have fun in the hospital at 35 dude. @@justalurkr

[@moosehead4497]

Man, the thing I just can't comprehend is how you slam a whole pizza just like that. I mean I used to be a drug addict so I know what it's like to have no control taking huge amounts of a substance making my body sick. But I've always been lean and eating certain foods just makes me feel like crap so I avoid it. I don't eat enough generally. If I slammed a pizza my gut would feel like it's got a stone in it and I'd feel lethargic and like crap. Same with fast food. Lots of food just doesn't sit well with me so I eat a pretty simple diet, like beef , broccoli and rice

[@tonygibson6806]

All of my family are obese, at an early age circa 10 to 11 years old I became aware of my own burgeoning wieght, thought to myself fuck that shit and changed my lifestyle, still remember coming home from school and saying to my mother, nope not eating that, it's deep fried junk. Now about to turn 40, both parents dead after a litany of health problems and my older brother well on his way. Obesity will mess you up, and that's the truth.

[@HillbillyYEEHAA]

My mother was the same. If it doesn't cost under a certain amount, she wasn't getting it. She felt it was fitting to raise 2 children on biscuits, noodles, pasta and a sauce. Most of my diet was carbs. I don't know how I'm alive 😂

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Damn man, way to make a change early! Very impressive. - Dr. Mike

[@A-A-RonDavis2470]

Knowledge is health. A lot of Americans have grown used to just.. trying to stay alive with whatever they can afford, because they're also financially illiterate and don't realize it takes a skill to make real money, not a wage slave job in some warehouse or fast food joint. It's a horrible ignorance and stupidity cycle that plagues EVERY family in some form.

[@sonja4164]

Wow...much love man!

[@Ken-no5ip]

Its funny because junk food is way more expensive than eating basic healthy food like beans, potatoes, onions (and other cheap vegetables), and some cheap cuts of meat.

[@sb8449]

I appreciate Dr. Mike’s more serious tone expressed in this video considering the topic. Invaluable way to break down the barrier for those who may otherwise not be receptive to this information.

[@blackspring3207]

My background is more in the social activist scene that he names here, but I always thought the claim that obesity is not bad for you was ultimately ridiculous. I really like his channel in general and agree that his tone and delivery here is impeccable.

[@josephwritessongs]

I've been avoiding this video despite liking your other stuff cos I was nervous it would be mean-spirited but this is a very compassionate approach! As a fat guy slowly but steadily getting healthier and stronger this really helped reinforce I'm on the right path - definitely had to get over the self-loathing though! Nothing helpful in that or approaches that encourage it

[@gow1044]

Yeah there is some very angry content out there about HAZE and body positively. Super happy to hear about u changing for the better

[@deloceanophoto]

Agreed… bullying people for their size is utterly bullshit. And not effective. Something I’ve noticed (at least in my area) the place that overweight folks are least likely to be bullied or judged is in the gym. I think the attitudes I observe (and what I think myself) when someone is overweight and in the gym is “yeah, you go, brother or sister!! Good on you!”

[@joeblow9657]

Remember, a jacked guy walking into the gym often takes little courage, an out of shape newbie walking into the gym usually takes a lot of courage. We all start somewhere.

[@Ben-zr4ho]

That's true. People at the gym might treat a fat guy coming in without slight encouragement at first because we are so used to people going in and out but if they show consistentcy people at the gym become their biggest cheerleaders.

[@Timmy-mi2ef]

​@@Ben-zr4ho that seems abit counter intuitive though.

[@bhadgyaledds3333]

My gym is filled with mostly overweight ppl I love to see that and the ppl that work there hype us up so much

[@ashleybriggs1198]

yeah totally agree with this, overweight people at the gym genuinely make smile, it’s inspiring.

[@Bob-fy8bt]

I appreciate that Dr. Mike has respect for people that are heavy. I just a lost bunch of weight (85 lbs.) and did that in spite of sleep apnea, depression, and hashimoto’s disease. It’s crazy difficult, but can be done. I got to 60 years old and saw a picture of myself - and I realized that I was going to die way too early if I stayed at that weight. One of the most inspirational things I have seen was a plaque in my gym that says “don’t work out because you hate your body, but workout because you love your body”. I’m nearing the end of my diet and have found the videos about migrating to maintenance extremely helpful. I’m absolutely committed to never going back to that weight again. Thanks for the work that you do, Dr. Mike. You have helped a number of us on our journey.

[@TurquoiseInk]

Thank you for speakibg up about not yelling at people to lose weight but to treat people with compadsion and respect. My best friend got to that point where she refused to hear anyone that wanted to talk to her about her weight. Now she's ib hrr 40s with health issues. I blame the relentless bullying she got at home and at school. Ironicalky, she prefers healthier options and has lost weight just from making better food choices as well as seimming and doing yoga. She'¢ one of the most compassionate, respectful and intelligent people I havev ever met.

[@Magic_beans_]

HAES seems like another of those things that started sensibly enough: rather than pursue weight for its own sake, which encourages all kinds of fad dieting, just exercise, eat well, and let your weight do where it may. But then it mutated because people learned about it and saw something they could use it to badger and control strangers.

[@wezzuh2482]

Yeah. It seems like that is a process that affects so much of modern discourse. It goes something like this: 1) There is a prevailing perception in our culture (example: losing weight is good, diets are good, etc) 2) Some new current of thought challenges this commonly held perception (weight is not the end-all be-all of health) 3) This challenging point of view gradually grows in popularity 4) As it becomes more popular, some people misinterpret or overgeneralize its conclusions (Weight has NO bearing whatsoever on health) 5) The challenging view gradually becomes the newly emerging orthodoxy, so that any viewpoint that seems to challenge it in turn, comes off as "old-fashioned" or reactionary.

[@magical571]

i've yet to meet once of this "extremists" in real life. i genuinly believe it's just a fringe that gets louder on some corners, and people run with it.

[@MrBonified66]

..and feel better about themselves, don't forget that.

[@Lopsterbliss]

​@@magical571that's essentially American discourse in a nutshell, especially politically. Far left and far right do stupid shit that the news outlets run with, every moderate rolls their eyes at the circus and rinse and repeat until lines are drawn in the sand.

[@ElMona]

@boocackeedquackhead8454 I think it started out as "anyone at any size can make steps to become healthy" but then it turned into "size/weight has nothing to do with health"

[@keirahazlewood4223]

HAES originally was about having healthy habits. It was about not dieting stupidly to get thin for the sake of being thin and instead following healthy habits which people at every size could do. And from there, most those people would slowly get to a healthier weight, but the size wasn't the goal, being healthy was. Less about 'You're okay at any size' and more, 'you can do healthy things at any size and they will make you healthy.'

[@Fallenangel_85]

The problem already starts with the name of the movement, it's very misleading if you just take it literal.

[@Velourium]

what about Health at Every Size is misleading? (I think the problem is people think it's Healthy at Every Size)

[@DieselGlori]

This is IMO the definitive and most gracious commentary on HAES and I’m grateful to you for tackling this publicly Get well soon

[@canIgetuhhh]

This video belongs in some sort of library of Alexandria style collection of all the most important pieces of content that are helpful to society. The way you arranged and delivered this lecture was exquisite. If anyone in my life ever expresses a desire to change and is sick of being heavy, ill send them to this video.

[@stellabari246]

The part about not looking at the scale is really true. I’m not overweight, I’m even on the lower side of normal bmi. I go to the gym 5 times a week, I pay attention to my diet. But looking at the scale stresses me out. So I don’t. I keep up the good habits, but I look at the scale once every few months at most.

[@darthmatisgod]

I was told my whole life I needed to lose weight. I knew it, too, and the only way I knew how was via deprivation. That never lasts, and after regaining weight it can feel hopeless. The only thing that worked was being met with compassion by an amazing nutritionist and being told that if I ate well balanced meals (and was also given advice on what that meant) that I would feel better. The changes kept coming and coming and I've gone from not being able to walk a half mile to getting to play sports again. No one wants to not eat junk food; everyone wants to feel good. You have to reach people through the latter method.

[@TheDevilLine6]

I was one of those kids who struggled with gain/maintaining weight. To the point that doctors thought there was an issue with my thyroid, but my metabolism was just high and I was a very active kid with bike riding, skateboarding and tree climbing. Now being 25 I’ve finally reached 168lbs and put on a bit of fat, so I’ve been eating better and more plus hitting the gym and walking 3 miles a day with a 20lb vest. And I was that kid who could eat anything and everything and not change too much but I’m so glad I caught myself early before continuing the terrible habit. No more noodle arms and I see some abs coming up. I listen to your videos every day, even at the gym to help myself become better while being safe and not wrecking my joints. Thanks for all you do!

[@sody6057]

Dr. Mike with the real talk and being compassionate, it’s great!

[@HoundStuff]

Dr. Mike, I’ve noticed in many of your videos that you often use words like “compassion” and “empathy” while also sharing the facts and very pragmatic advice and info for people at all levels across the fitness spectrum. I find that to be refreshing and unique in the KZbin and broader fitness community. I think this, and your overall approach, sets you and your videos apart and is really refreshing. Kudos and thank you!

[@willtaylor7467]

Dr Mike ... you're a frikken legend. Love your work. You are truly are a voice in the KZbin wilderness. You're funny AF! You are, cleary, a man of integrity who tries to give his audience quality content. Please keep being ... you!!

[@Chimera-man-man]

This was a super impressive episode and the sad thing is the whole HAES doctor thing does have a solid grain of truth to it. I know plenty of people who are overweight who have had doctors tell them shit about losing weight for unrelated health issues. Even people who are marginally overweight but still active. I know someone who had to get healthier just so doctors would take their problems seriously. But this is a good video and I'm glad you you weren't like mean about it lol

[@bwhit7919]

The one grain of truth to the body positivity movement: I was able to reach my lowest weight and peak muscle when I started loving myself, rather than hating myself. Treat yourself like a demigod, and then you’ll naturally treat your body right.

[@jamessanders145]

the one grain of truth is that bullying obese people isn't only wrong, it just doesn't have any positive effects on helping people get better. There's nothing positive about pushing an agenda that might lead people to be convinced that being overweight isn't a health hazard, as much as everyone deserves compassion and love, being told falsehoods about iminent danger is also abuse.

[@Sarah-tq2jx]

100% this! This is what body positivity is (or should be) about. Getting to a point where you’re okay with your body… where you’re not thinking “I’ll do XYZ when I lose weight.” For the longest time, I was terrified of going to the gym because I was fat. As soon as I improved my relationship with my body, I was able to get over that fear. Of course I still have some bad days, but on the whole I’m way more motivated to take care of a body that I don’t hate.

[@HellGod67]

@@jamessanders145 pleny of people get motivated to shed fat because of bullying, including me.

[@jamessanders145]

@@HellGod67 I'm glad it worked as motivation for you but that doesn't make the act of bullying someone morally right.

[@kris9074]

@@HellGod67 You're really defending bullying people into losing weight? Plenty of people also kill themselves because of the bullying. "Impact of Body Weight Perceptions and Electronic Bullying on Suicide-Related Risk Behaviors among Youth: Results from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2015"

[@malindarayallen]

I agree about approaching people with compassion. We have to go beyond lifestyle changes to address using food as a coping mechanism. We have to help people find other ways of dealing, or they will always turn to food for comfort. I don't think the majority of heavily overweight people don't care about living. I think they don't see an alternative for coping, and often don't realize their addiction.

[@bad307207]

It's awesome to watch someone without too much bias talk about this... As someone who has struggled with my weight my whole life, I was sympathetic to the idea of HAES, until I actually meet some in real life [I'd hoped for Healthier at size...]. HAES is more like a cult/ fetish club (there were a lot of skinny old men floating about HAES and it's Fat people are 90% female imo)! I consider myself an EX-fat, a term used by HAES for people who used to be fat... Ex-Fats and HAES often fight (online) and it gets bitter and often personal, imo because we're fighting for the same space; I don't think Ex-Fats are trolls (some are) but I don't believe that it's as simple as trying to help HAES, I believe we're trying to dissuade the people on the fence. Btw I'm 6ft 210lb and about 20% fat (my goal is 15%). I was 297lb and over 40%.

[@101Bettis]

Feeling it right now. 39, 5'9, 250 lbs, been that way for 15 years now, and the scales are starting to tip. I FEEL old. I can tell things just aren't working right, and that my decent genetics are starting to bend under the load of my bad habits. Sucks, man. And the worse it gets, the harder it is to turn it around- which becomes a self-perpetuating downwards trending cycle. Get fit, NOW. Stop eating trash every day while you're YOUNG. You slow down, you go down- so don't stop.

[@ashleybriggs1198]

you got this, change is 100% achievable!! speaking for myself but when I tried making extreme changes all at once it didn’t work. setting challenging but not like punishingly difficult goals is what worked for me.

[@maksun66883]

Thank you for encouraging compassion. It is SO hard to lose weight in this modern world, and it is SO easy to become overweight in this modern world. We cannot victim blame people for living in a society where food is everywhere and most restaurants serve 1000 calorie meals, etc. Also, overweight and obese folks who are trying to eat healthier, exercise, and diet sustainably are going to be fat for a WHILE as their body is becoming healthier. So, it IS possible to be healthy and be overweight/obese. Bottom line, it's important that we treat everyone with respect no matter what they look like because you don't know their struggle.

[@thewaterbear]

This is one aspect that bodybuilders and strength athletes IN PARTICULAR should be able to relate to more than most. Someone's CURRENT numbers can be almost meaningless without the context of their starting point.

[@SquashDaBeef]

It's impossible to be healthy and obese IMO. The two are antithetical.

[@matroska_5625]

If modern society was the only variable then everyone would be fat - and equally fat, too. I only know one fat person and they're in the same society, the same city, the same situation as all the non-fat people I know. Seeing yourself as a victim is just shifting away responsibility away from yourself. If society was to blame, it would be impossible to lose weight without changing society. It's good that it's down to you because that means you can change it.

[@adtjtjdjsj]

Bullshit. It's still YOUR choice whether youre going to eat crap at a restaurant or not

[@RanEncounter]

​@@thewaterbear Or the direction where they are going. That is actually the most crusial thing.

[@Juli6SS]

You can be unhealthy at any size, that's for sure.

[@soysauceboy2023]

This is the best treatment on this topic I’ve ever seen/read. Thank you.

[@Mezog001]

Something of value to add to this conversation is the need to have food that is visual appealing that taste great. For me this has turned into learning how to cook.

[@tonybernard4444]

I've watched cooking shows on PBS since I was a kid, so I've always been functional in the kitchen, but the most influential thing was Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork in the Road. This guy's all about Cajun/Creole cooking, fat is flavor, all that, but in this book, he's all about reducing unnecessary calories while retaining slap in the face level flavor and heart warming satisfaction. The recipes are great and the cooking methods and spice blends can be applied to other dishes. These days, it's second nature to cook good whole food, and I can stuff myself without worrying about weight (57yo, 5'11", 167lb).

[@Alekhine01]

Yeah, I have a tbi, and getting everything together and cooking is really a challenge for me. Having hood food out helps, but you know, in a family, there seems to be more junk around than anything else despite requests. I just do not have the wherewithal to maintain a healthy food environment without help, and that urge on the part of others is just not there. I try, but with a true brain injury it is hard to be consistent in any aspect of life …. Ah well, we gotta just keep trying when we can.

[@SaccharineHearts]

That's a great point I think there's a lot to be learned from stoicism and going back to a simpler way of life, it honestly wasn't until I had to change my diet for the sake of my endometriosis that I learned to appreciate things like quinoa and kale, chick peas and old fashioned oats, spelt etc etc. And i can eat a huge bowl of lentil salad with almost no seasoning and actually enjoy it, munch on fresh lettuce and broccoli stalks with nothing on it, with pure delight and actually enjoying it all the while some people shake their head and say my food is too bland, i say they're too complicated and too used to their creature comforts lol

[@JoyceElFer]

This is awesome, sir. We don't here enough about compasionate coaching.

[@kirkjabusch1514]

This is a good approach. I am fit now but I needed to lose 75-100 lbs as I reached my 50's, which I have essentially done now. I am healthy now and maintaining a healthy diet and exercise. I didn't want to look at the scale. I knew it was bad. I asked my wife to help me, and I just started eating healthier, started educating myself on nutrition and weight loss, and I started working out 5 days a week - cardio and resistance training. I like to resistance train and had been doing that, but inconsistently. I hate cardio, still do, but I do it. The learning helped motivate me that I could do it. Gradually I lost weight and once I was down about 30 or 40lbs i started to feel better - mentally and physically - and that further motivated me. I was a college athlete, and I do think that was an advantage for me in that I knew how to train and how to push myself. I see a lot of people that just don't know how to do either of those things. I did not starve myself. I knew that wouldn't work for me, so I just changed my eating habits and eliminated a lot of the carbs (pasta, pizza, bread, cereal). If people can just start to learn and change some habits and have some success, then they can feel empowered to lose it and keep it off. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I was also ready and determined to do it. I was disgusted with myself. It has been like the fountain of youth.

[@drewmandan]

Go for walks in the woods. If you still hate cardio after doing that for a few months, you're not human.

[@francoismagne5863]

You managed to convey hard truths in a compassionate way. That's impressive.

[@eldfen2334]

I have always felt like the root cause for my depression and anxiety were when the things I know deep down inside that i should or shouldn't be doing don't match my actions. That discord between the internal values and external actions is where depression and self hate live. Life has been alot better since i have been honest with myself about this.

[@johannabonana5306]

I love the message of this video. Compassion and love is the necessary for change.

[@TheMightyOdin]

At 402 pounds I could not wear my seat belt when I drove. I could get it to latch but it dug into my hip so badly that it was excruciating after just a few seconds. Currently I weigh 198 pounds. Much better in every measure of life psychologically and physically.

[@Filipp0kk]

Oh my god! You are so fucking strong, dude, good job!

[@ChipsMcClive]

I really like the topic of compassion at the end of the video. Most people online parrot what they’ve heard without understanding the intent or nuance. An analysis of how to be the meanest person possible is an incredibly helpful thing that I’ve never heard someone else consider before. Clearly, you would only want to do it ironically with someone who gets that, but being too nice is overrated. We need more ways like this to squeeze some originality out of people.

[@daycube8506]

100% true. I was relatively "healthy" besides having a thyroid issue since I was 13. But have been at about 300lbs for the last 10-12 years at 5'6". Now I'm 41 and this year CHF (enlarged heart) due to sleep apnea and now I'm trying to fix things and I am seeing progress down almost 20lbs but way more to go. I felt fine until I didn't. Take care of yourself. Thank you for the content.

[@Yee.Naaldlooshii]

good for you. just keep going, don't give up! there is a light at the end of the tunnel. you got this!

[@daycube8506]

@@Yee.Naaldlooshii thank you

[@elsenorloco84]

What a great video really well done . He looks like a pitbull yet is a big softy thats wholesome AF !

[@calbradshaw2637]

I’m just a medical student, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’ve grappled somewhat with this issue. Something that’s helped me reconcile how to treat people with respect while simultaneously addressing an uncomfortable topic like obesity is to view obesity for what it is, a disease. Just like you wouldn’t ignore the telltale signs of a stroke, you wouldn’t ignore the telltale signs of underlying metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease, both of which are linked to obesity. It won’t be my job to judge a patient for being obese-that’s where the stigma and backlash come from, arguably culminating in the “health at every size”movement. It WILL BE my job to treat the obesity as a disease rather than a character defect, with no judgments cast on the person presenting with the disease. This mindset’s been useful for me, for what it’s worth.

[@patrickbarney7054]

PA-S and I agree

[@stephenparlin9361]

Cal - as a previously morbidly obese person I wonder if the primary cause it just lack of knowledge on the how tos. It was for me. Once I read Layne Norton's Fat Loss Forever book and watched his, Dr Mike's and other videos and figured out exactly how to - BAM 160lb gone in 18 months and sustainable loss I still have almost 4 years later. Sure there are some that won't even if they know how, but lack of and misinformation are the primary cause or the obesity problem we see so rampant today.

[@calbradshaw2637]

@Stephen Parlin that’s seriously impressive. I think you’re certainly right, and I’d wager that you have more authority on the subject now than I have! I’m sure that physicians taking the time to explain the basics of weight loss would pay massive dividends long term. And if they don’t feel that they’re able to die to time constraints or whatever else, a referral to a dietician would probably go a long way.

[@stephenparlin9361]

@@calbradshaw2637 that's just it. Dieticians often lack the needed communication skills to convey the message from my experience. A handful of Dr Mike's vids does it like so few can. The how to diet for fatloss series = pure gold

[@calbradshaw2637]

@Stephen Parlin you’re not wrong. Same can be said for doctors and all other healthcare providers. It’s not an easily fixed problem.

[@JohnCampbell45]

Thank you for making this. Its a reasonable level headed video. Its nice you get it, ive seen a lot of doctors with that old school mindset and it never once helped.

[@coachcasiello]

Hey Dr. Mike and channel, it’s me a random dude without a doctorate! I understand that a large portion of folks dealing with obesity are also dealing with some trauma and are either conscious or unconsciously protecting themselves from the world. For instance, a large portion of overweight women have been sexually assaulted. There’s a component of needing to address the mental health early on, as many folks who lose the weight simply rebound because the root problem wasn’t address. I’m sure your empathetic views in this video are a welcomed change from the usual online rhetoric. Love your content and get so much out of it.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Great points. I think there is a link between obesity and child sexual abuse, but I think the relationship is as-yet mysterious. It seems that once various factors are controlled for, it's a small relationship, and we're still not sure if it's causal. More research on this is definitely something that will shed more light. Give this a read if you have a spare little bit of time: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17606550/ - Dr. Mike

[@toriwolf5978]

Agreed 100%❤

[@skr3ex]

I like this video. I’m thinking about myself when I was bigger before I lost weight (for real this time) and what someone could’ve told me to help me. It’s complicated for every person. I for sure had a food addiction and a history of anorexia and bulimia. So honestly, it’s probably better no one told me anything. Sometimes, you just have to let people figure it out on their own. But genuinely, why do you care unless it’s someone you genuinely care about? And if it’s someone you genuinely care about then it shouldn’t be hard to be compassionate? Meet them where they’re at. Some people just need to mind their own business and not be so affected about other peoples personal choices. But yes, I agree with the message of this video! Yelling at someone never works, people just want to be mean to give them some self satisfaction 😂 (personally I think it comes from a bit of insecurity they have, like they’re yelling at their former fat self, but that’s just a THEORY lol)

[@MrSunnyBhoy]

Great vid Dr and very relevant. I had to be compassionate to myself to Los the weight I have. I'm still only 50% complete. But I am well on my way now and like you said yelling etc doesn't work as people get defensive. Politeness and compassion can solve a lot of problems in this world.

[@oOo-Della]

Glad you reposted this. One of your best videos

[@rienab]

I appreciate the simultaneous direct yet careful approach you took to this topic. I had a doctor who told me I was fat no matter what I went in to discuss with him and billed my insurance for obesity counseling. I always felt he thought he was telling me something I was unaware of. I wanted to look down at myself and say Oh my God, I AM fat, thank goodness you told me! I happen to come from a long line of women built like bowling pins and I am on a bipolar medication that has the fun side effect of very rudely slowing your metabolism to what seems like a near stop. I don't respond well to being told I'm fat and yelling and all that, and I don't own a scale because those numbers became an obsession. Still, I have found that just meal prepping my lunches keeps me from eating out for that meal, keeps me from being hungry in the afternoons, and causes me to eat a smaller/healthier dinner. I also do a five-day on/two-day off workout schedule that works for me. I like to see the building of muscle and the non-scale victories of buying smaller clothes, more than I care about that number on the scale. There has to be a happy medium between ignoring your unhealthiness and yelling at someone for being overweight.

[@jamesburkhart9488]

Such true honesty, not the false type more akin to verbal abuse.

[@captainchaosxx3866]

As a former powerlifter w/bachelor's degree in kinesiology and other certifications. So i knew how to eat and do all the basic nutrition stuff. I had trouble losing 1 pound for months. Went to go get checked by a doctor to see if everything is OK. But the nurse and doctor were totally assholes. So I was definitely fat shamed by them. It was an eye opening experience for damn sure. So if you're doctor actually discuss with them about eating habits and treat them like people.

[@vitamin9165]

yeah that sucks

[@moosehead4497]

A lot of Nurses and doctors tend to be assholes, unforunately. Something about dealing with the public they start to hate people

[@WhatWillYouFind]

General med doctors and nurses barely get a crash course on diet, nutrition, and the psychological foundation to give lifestyle related advice. I hope you found a registered Dietician "not a nutritionist " who was able to provide you the best service possible.

[@grayson0916]

I think this is the main takeaway that’s valuable from the fat is healthy movement. While I disagree with a lot of their platform, the way the medical profession treats weight loss and obesity can be so demeaning and lacking empathy to people. I’ve been lucky enough that I haven’t had to deal with that personally but I’ve certainly read and heard enough to know it’s a very real problem.

[@patrickcrabb6212]

Yeah, I can't say I have anywhere near the same relation with fat, because I have a hyperthyroid, I can say that every doctor that's seen my T-3/T-4 levels were pretty chill about seeing just how high they were during blood checks. Since, I don't know, guess that I seem fine enough and can be tossed out the door.

[@zameer9164]

Just subscribed! Our society needs more people like Dr. Mike

[@millivanilli111]

As a woman who has never been fat - but spent a lot of time in the 00’s being told I was fat (I wasn’t) - all it did was gave me an eating disorder out of anxiety. I would have benefitted from compassion and education around eating, not shaming.

[@FireSilver25]

The ‘80s was awful too! So much body shaming and bullying. I hope you found support and healing.

[@betterversionn]

Who was telling you, you were fat? And why would you have benefited from education about eating if you weren't fat?

[@millivanilli111]

@@betterversionn pov you need to mind your business

[@betterversionn]

@@millivanilli111 lol - why are publicly posting such (apparently) sensitive information online if you’re going to get super offended by basic ass questions? Ha

[@millivanilli111]

@@betterversionn lol

[@RavingKats]

Just want to say you handled this really well without diving too deep in the weeds yet addressing the root causes (not caring, phobic of scales). Saying this as someone who has been everything btwn size 6 and 2xl and both factors were really at play due to trauma and a disavowal of my body meaning it's easy for me to stay in my head and have no connection to it and on those moments, it's definitely the "f'ck it" because it's psychologically distanced from me which may sound weird to ppl but is totally normal for ppl who've experienced certain kinds of traumas especially involving their body. Wellness involves being whole and holistic, and being both body and mind. Until someone wants that there's no amount of yelling or nagging that will fix that but compassion helps. Delusions about it being ok are just enabling though, also not helpful.

[@MissWhiskers]

I'm positively surpised at how balanced and constructive this video was. This subject is so polarizing and it's so refreashing to find a voice that can view the subject matter from both sides. With that said, I do wish that there was more attention paid to weight gain that is actually beyond the individual's control. We know that there are a number of hormones affecting our hunger and satiation. It affects how much weight we put on and in general our metabolism. I was always a chubby kid despite skipping meals on a regular basis. I was never a "foodie". When I got problems with menstruation, it was discovered that my prolactin level was elevated. As soon as they corrected that, I plummeted in weight, loosing 13 kg in about 6 months (down to 56 kgs). We also know that polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS) can affect metabolism. (I have that too.) Later in my years (I'm 30 now), I have also experience of rapid weight gain caused by antidepressants (Venlafaxin and Lithium). I gained roughly 20 kgs, from 60 to 80. I had no idea what I was doing wrong and it was so difficult to shed that weight because I felt like my body was always working against me. I would eat so little that I would feel dizzy (by my estimates 1000-1200 calories per day) and still I would just barely manage to lose weight. It was only when I stopped with all antidepressants that I managed to lose weight properly. I don't know my current weight but at my largest I was a size 44/46 in EU standard (US equivalent of 12/14) and I'm now usually 6 or 8 US size (38/40 in EU standard). Removing Venlafaxin improved my metabolism significantly. However, just from being off lithium for 2 months I've lost one entire dress size (and my apetite). I wish you could make a video about this, Dr Mike, how different medications and medical conditions affect our metabolism because it does hold relevance. I feel like people are not realising that weight loss can be extremely difficult when you have a body that is actively working against you. To everyone else I want to say: If you're struggling to lose weight, there can sometimes be a medicial explanation! Always look at what you've been prescribed and consider if you might have some medical conditions. These is particularly important for woman. PCOS is extremely common (8-13 % of women is thought to have it). You might have it without even knowing it! Ask for a check-up and don't ignore symptoms like I did for so long.

[@WorkLessRideMore]

I love this channel. Dr. Mike is always entertaining and backed by science. Says it how it is. I started riding mountain bikes a few years ago during the lockdown crap and went from 6' 240lbs and fat as fuck to now being about 190 and muscular. Got down to about 170 before I started teaching and not riding everyday and started hitting the weights harder. Being overweight sucks ass. I'll never go back to eating doritos, drinking soda and chainsmoking cigs everyday. My whole life is better because I started riding and that made me interested in pushing my fitness further in order to get faster and better and more imune to injury.

[@NerdAdventurer85]

I'm under the belief that screaming at anyone for anything is wholly unhelpful. I mean, what's it gonna do except either piss folk off and make them depressed?

[@ninjaknight-jn9ky]

I'm happy you talked about the positive attitude and reinforcement, stress is a large factor in expected body weight especially around the mid section and do things that don't increase stress levels while guiding people in the correct direction is a much better approach.

[@khyogre]

I've just completed my Exercise Science degree, in my final year I had a nutrition unit that taught HAES for 3 weeks, and even had a mid-sem exam worth 10% grade on it. First lesson the tutor brought it up, I audibly laughed thinking she was joking, or that we would be discussing how damaging the movement can be. No one else in class laughed. Had a 15 min argument with tutor, and she tried to get me kicked out of the class the next day. Luckily my course coordinator had my back and said they would try and take HAES out of the syllabus next year. Craziness.

[@frespects9624]

I don't think anyone should hate themselves because they're fat, or that they're a bad person or anything of that nature. That is definitely part of the reason I lost a shitton of weight though. I hated my body, I hated how I looked, I hated how I felt. I changed my mindset, I didn't hate myself anymore. I recognized what I'd done to myself and I accepted my responsibility. I think it's damaging to tell these people that this shit is good for them or that it's amicably good for them. I think you offer an olive branch to open a very serious discussion. I can't imagine how fucking sick I would be if I continued to neglect my health, and I am so fucking thankful my parents and my friends love me enough to tell me the truth.

[@neildepressedtyson540]

So basically you misunderstood the concept, audibly laughed at something you'd never even learned before, and then argued with the lecturer because you knew better and then when she found you so dense and insufferable she literally didn't even want to teach you, you tried to have the HAES removed from the syllabus? You sound like everything wrong with the fitness industry today tbh.

[@khyogre]

​@@neildepressedtyson540 Interesting interpretation. As previously mentioned, I am a scientist, and so I am concerned with the hard facts of health and fitness. The truth is, you CANNOT be healthy at any size, and telling some who is chronically over- or underweight that they are not unhealthy is what's wrong with the fitness industry today. I do not advocate for bullying or harassing people who are unhealthy. We should be providing them the means and knowledge to change their lives for the better, not sweeping it under the rug. Alternatively, some people do not care about living a healthy life and that is also their prerogative. I hope you can see the light in all of this.

[@neildepressedtyson540]

@@khyogre Many scientists are completely swallowed by ideology, and what they perceive to be "FaX and LogiK" when actually they're just prejudiced morons. I say this as a scientist myself. You're just fundamentally wrong.

[@neildepressedtyson540]

@@khyogre When I say you're wrong, I don't mean you're wrong that people can be healthy at any size, you can't be healthy at any size, but the issue is (and I don't know why this is so hard to understand) that that isn't what HAES means. And it never has. Nobody is fat because doctors are telling them it doesn't affect their health. This is a boogieman phantom you guys are fighting that isn't actually what HAES has ever suggested. Like we don't care that exercise scientists don't understand health concepts, they're still utilised in hospitals.

[@steverichard3016]

I’d love to see a debate on this topic between Dr Mike and the Maintenance Phase podcasts hosts.

[@morganwentworth2041]

Yesss I was thinking about them too

[@debless9]

Some people smoke their whole lives, reach an old age and never get cancer. Doesn't mean smoking is healthy.

[@James-oe6bn]

All this advice about compassionate listening and carefully approaching others could apply to conversations on politics or religion. Great stuff.

[@harshman121092]

“That does not mean yelling at fat people and telling them to lose weight is a good idea.” Killed me 😂😂😂

[@msofronidis]

Then you know that that someone who yells at the fat person cares for the fat person. Someone who doesn't, would 5:38 compliment the fatso to an early grave.

[@violetavenue8990]

1000% agree with everything you've said. Brilliant.

[@emmang2010]

Simply yelling at people and doing everything that has shown not to work, is what some youtubers have built a career around. So happy this channel exists.

[@ratking927]

I appreciate that he has the straight to the point attitude without being cruel

[@hlc617]

I think one of the main things I agree with fat positivity on is like, a lot of general negativity in society towards fatness has nothing to do with health, and a lot of people who react negatively to fatness don't give a shit about health at all, they just use "that's unhealthy" as a socially acceptable way to say "you look gross to me and i feel better about myself because i can say that to someone else". Meanwhile the person saying that might never leave their computer chair except to make their single meal a day of frozen chicken nuggies. So yeah like, being overweight is bad for you, but a lot of the vitriol fatness gets is not because it's unhealthy (even tho it is), bc there's a lot of unhealthy things that are totally socially acceptable and even 'cool' in a way fatness isn't.

[@PoisinInAPrettyPill]

Dr Mike is seriously brilliant. The way he explains things is just plain logical and he’s super funny.

[@stevezelaznik5872]

When I lost a bunch of weight I never even looked at the scale. Regardless of the number I knew I needed to eat less, eat healthier, and move more. Eventually people complimented me on how much weight I had lost.

[@laa0fa502]

What got me to start working out was not someone telling me i looked fat (which i heard a billion times), but my brother in law telling me I looked "buff". I was 70 pounds overweight and thought that was a cool comment so I started running and eating more protein, I started absolutely SHEDDING the pounds, and now I can feel the benefits and don't want to go back to eating pizza and dough balls. Encouragement works a whole lot better than admonishment

[@PTPalmer_NPC]

I think the other argument I’ve heard from HAES people is that it’s not being overweight that causes the issues but all the dietary things that get you there. A lot of it is aimed at destigmatizing obesity but if you alter the lifestyle (diet and physical activity levels) of 100% of obese people then upwards of 96% will lose weight and upwards of 98% will get healthier… So then it’s like “ok, I understand how brutal and nasty the average person can be to someone who’s obese BUT I think we’re splitting hairs or at least wasting time on a chicken or the egg conversation when there are steps we can take to help you…”Honestly, your argument to come from sincere compassion and not be rude about appearance is 100% the correct approach and the only way to bring about changes at both the micro and macro levels… Like with most things we’d just be a lot better off if the small mindedest among us could gain 1 ounce of self awareness and be better people.

[@cirquedulindsey]

My interpretation of HAES is that it's more about how you can live a healthy lifestyle at any size, rather than suggesting that body fat percentage has zero impact on health. If you love your body or, at least, accept it rather than hating yourself for being fat, than you are more likely to practice healthy habits and take care of yourself.

[@sarapocorn]

Agreed. It might be pedantic, but I think the movement is also called „Health“ and not „healthY“ AES. Personally, I also understand it as taking care of your health in whatever ways are accessible, no matter your size. I would also include mental health here.

[@caseytaylor1487]

I spent an enlistment in the Marines and was the strongest, most fit of my life. Near the end of my enlistment, I met the woman who would become my wife, and almost from the day I met her, my fitness went downhill and I began gaining weight. About 15 years later, I was 150lbs overweight. As I saw the impending health catastrophe approaching, I realized that I NEEDED to change - I got in the gym, started eating healthier and I'm down about 115lbs. Through that process, I shed not only that weight and many of the unhealthy habits, but the abusive addict of a wife that I had picked up so many years ago, and I learned that the weight was less the underlying problem and more just one of the symptoms of the unhealthy place my life was in. Now, I'm both physically and emotionally much more healthy and resilient, I'm teaching my kids healthy lifestyles, and our outlook on life is 180 degrees from where it was.

[@ActivateTrueHealth]

On some points I agree with you on, and there are many things you missed on how excess adiposity can lead to negative health. Adipose tissue is endocrine. It releases hormones such as cortisol and estrogen, which is usually a bad thing. Organs become fatty and stop working properly. But what I disagree with is that there are frequently overweight people who are doing all the right things (or mostly) but they cannot lose weight. I've had multiple clients like this. I had a client who was raw vegan (only ate fruits, veggies, and very low nuts and seeds), and went to the gym 6 times a week but she wasnt losing weight. Calories in and calories out is true, but calories out depends on our metabolism which is impacted by various things such as thyroid function, mitochondrial health, genetics, adrenal balance, nutrient status, microbiome status, toxicity and others. This isn't talked about enough, because people aren't understanding the complexity of the human body.

[@MrCmon113]

Talking out of my ass here, but it sounds like it's kind of hard to get enough protein like that, so maybe her body ramped her appetite way up to make up for that.

[@emilynesbitt7917]

I will say the healthy at any size movement has done more for me to feel confident going outside and to the gym than anything else. To me, the body positivity movement is really important because it provided a space where I didn’t feel like I had to hate myself. Seeing plus size models in bikinis gave me the ability to love myself and be confident enough to actually care about my health. I got into powerlifting and got really passionate about it. The body positivity movement is a really important space

[@Slowmotion1225]

I'm just starting my journey, and haven't lost weight yet, but just lifting weights 3 times a week for an hour and a half has got me feeling better than I have in 20 years. I actually look forward to going, and been keeping it going for a month now. 40 is on the horizon for me, and it's past time I had my shit together. Thanks, Dr. Mike for inspiring me to get my ass in the weight room.

[@FrogRock32]

Keep it up! It will come with time. My brother got me lifting and the more I did it, the more I liked it and then slowly built the discipline to work on my diet, but I started with an activity that I loved. If you make it fun you will love it for the rest of your life

[@usayeed727]

I was 272lbs at 6ft tall a year and a half ago. I still lifted and kept myself physically active. Was I healthy? I had constantly aching joints in my knees and lower back, moving around for basic tasks was a chore and I felt a sense of general malaise. Granted, I was 34% body fat but pushing that weight really wasn’t good for me. I was at the cusp of having difficulty breathing as well. Right now I’m ~250lbs at 23% body fat and I feel SO much healthier. I don’t suffer through as much pain in my joints and I move more nimbly, ably and freely. I also breathe easier too. Being healthy at every size is a gross exaggeration of reality- it’s possible to be heavy and healthy but if you’re over 250lbs I doubt you’d have an easy time overall.

[@joannab1692]

This was so damn good. Thank you! 💜

[@arvidlystnur4827]

As a once morbid obese man, I find one of the major skills of keeping on track and holding focus is to overcome the denial of the present condition. Buy a good scale, weigh yourself and track your weight every day. After about two years of normal weight, (below 25 BMI with a normal build), I stopped weighing myself and early May I weighed 187 25.7 BMI. Now, upon realizing I've fallen off focus, l chart and weigh myself every day, enter a slight caloric deficit, control snacks, feel great, growing muscle, down to 180. If you're obese, just be a little better, and learn a little more every day. Don't hate yourself, improve yourself.

[@Zoominguy007]

I think there’s an important distinction to be made about body positivity. Being fat does not make you any less of a person (literally and figuratively), you have just as much worth as anyone else and that’s why it’s so important that you take care of yourself so you can lead the longest, most quality filled life as possible.

[@vivicaprobably]

Thank you. So important. I don’t understand how so many people can trick themselves into thinking that bullying people has anything to do with concern for their health.

[@bcrnl9603]

Thank you for your approach to this, Dr. Mike. The worst thing is for people to feel virtuous for calling out people with weight problems. Changes come from intrinsic decisions made by individuals, not external cruel reminders and taunts.

[@LexiWarner247]

Three months ago, I was 408 pounds and miserable. Yesterday, I was 361 pounds. A change in diet and adding exercise have made me feel so much better about myself. I won’t lie, I didn’t realize how miserable I was.

[@neildepressedtyson540]

Mike, I love your channel, and you have been the single biggest influence and trainer for getting me into the gym, and I studiously watch all your content when trying to learn concepts pertaining to your field of knowledge, so I really do say this with reverence and respect: HAES doesn't mean what a lot of people are led to believe it means, and as someone who is not only obese myself, but follows a HAES philosophy and has actually sat down and analysed what it means more closely, what I have come to realise is that there's a trick in language being played here by bad actors to strawman HAES medical professionals and literature into things they're not actually saying-- and then using a few twitter morons who perhaps don't really understand the concept but want to feel like they're supportive as a tool to say look how stupid fat acceptance is. In the Australian health department, we view at and describe it as thus: The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) and Size Inclusive Health Australia affirm a holistic definition of health, which cannot be characterised as simply the absence of physical or mental illness, limitation, or disease. Rather, health exists on a continuum that varies with time and circumstance for each individual. Health should be conceived as a resource or capacity available to all regardless of health condition or ability level, and not as an outcome or objective of living. Pursuing health is neither a moral imperative nor an individual obligation, and health status should never be used to judge, oppress, or determine the value of an individual. What this means is that if two people have obesity, and they are at varying degrees of severity. The answer needs to stop being "eat less and exercise," where the end goal is to be thin and lean and the only valid marker for healthy is whether or not someone has overcome obesity. The end goal in this instance is whatever the person can physically manage to do while staying psychologically sound, and in an ability to survive and get an income, or maintain their sanity. "Thin and lean" aren't the end goal, the end goal is the healthiest it's possible for you to be at any given time without regressing. Sometimes people are dealt a really shit hand in life, and they are going to die. Some people are 400 pounds, and every attempt they have made to diet has caused unbelievably severe psychological distress that although they have lost weight doing, it has sent them into very dark places and made their lives worse in all sorts of other ways. Other people will diet and exercise, but then develop decades-long eating disorders that see them fatter or thinner than they ever would have been if they didn't try it. What HAES says is that the goal shouldn't be defined by being as thin as possible or as cardio fit as possible, but rather that what we need to aim for is the most health a person can achieve without overdoing it and ending up worse than before. Nobody in the medical profession is saying to fat people (yes even in HAES settings) "your health is fantastic! Obesity doesn't actually cause issues guize, this high cholesterol is from childhood trauma!," what they're saying is that just because you're very obese, doesn't mean you aren't as healthy as it's POSSIBLE TO BE in that moment-- without extenuating factors changing your capacity for change, ergo making you have a new set of paramaters for health. Take someone very sick with cancer. On their death bed, or close to it. Frail. Skeletal. This person will not be made healthier by getting on a treadmill or hitting the gym, in this instance what "healthy" means is the *slowest pace possible towards death*. If someone has severe obesity, but then upon diet and exercise, they start obsessively cutting their wrists or self-harming, or they take up gambling and lose their wife, house, car, kids etc, we don't consider this "yeah but you're healthier!" because then we're failing to take into account the fact that what they're now going through has a significant detrimental effect on their bodies, such as depression and poverty, homelessness, lack of socialisation/meaning/order. Sometimes making people lose weight is actually hastening their death. I know. Crazy. But-- but-- the only healthy way to live is thin and jacked! Someone with cancer can be healthy, and you can do as much as you can to slow that person's death over someone without cancer, but that's the HEALTHIEST it's possible for them to be in that moment. Healthy people can become healthier than they are too. Even healthy isn't a fixed point in your capacity. Sometimes unfortunately people are just as fat as they are, and change is something that's beyond their capacity at that time, and HAES says then you have a different set of parameters for what is "optimal health," and to not worry about being aesthetic and shredded, and your full time job might be to worry about getting through the next 24 hours, even if it means you maintain a calorie surplus or have a high BMI. Maybe "peak healthy" for you is binge eating, practicing some self care and going to therapy, and not counting calories *at that phase in your life*. Maybe your optimal health is someone who never diets and never focuses on getting lean, but as a result their lifelong C-PTSD is held in check and they have great friendships and they are living within their own capacity for what healthy is. Would this person become healthier if they ran 10k every day? No. Unless your definition of health is merely "no be fat haha."

[@fp8901]

I was looking for this response. Thank you. The good doctor makes great videos but he totally missed the point here. And his speculation or hypothesis that fat people just don't give a f@#$ - Wow way off! More research and engagement and interviews with folks in the movement, and fat people in general, would add more nuance and background to the science he espouses. Also, obese people who follow the HAES philosophy and exercise and movement regiment ARE healthier than those obese persons being shamed into losing weight.

[@esteehanvey5647]

extremely intelligent and well-rounded video. good job Dr. Mike 😊

[@pkdude5334]

bullying back in middle and early high school got me to get in shape, so the negativity worked for me

[@teensymarie]

The research is very clear that it is unhelpful, generally. n=1 is not research. The fact that it worked on you, might be a sign that you are particularly insecure. You might want to think about that.

[@pkdude5334]

@@teensymarie why would I want to think about my own insecurity? Unless that's your subtle way of attempting to bully me.

[@teensymarie]

@@pkdude5334 Bullying is bad, mkay? Bullies are insecure, so they pick on other people's insecurities. Those who respond to bullying with compliance become bullies themselves. You don't give in to bullies. You knock their lights out, and go on with your day.

[@pkdude5334]

​@@teensymariethat makes sense

[@Johnmyork23]

This video really made me think. I appreciate the way you put things here and encourage anyone overweight that really wants and is ready to change to watch this and listen to Mike in general. Hes perhaps the least assholey hard person I've every heard.

[@victoriagraham5387]

Love this message. I was overweight most of my life with a high of 271. It was miserable. My feet hurt, knees hurt, stomach hurt, everything hurt. Tying my shoes sucked. It wasn’t healthy by any stretch of the imagination. I’m 56 5’9” and about 165 and have kept it off for almost 20 years, through diet and exercise. And people calling me fat never helped. But I also never deceived myself that I was healthy. I knew damned well I wasn’t.

[@albertozalon8477]

😊

[@jonathanrobinson2628]

A lot of the folks I work with have weight issues ranging from minor to major. I work at a large sawmill, so it's a job that can be a little physically demanding at times, and I won't how people keep the weight on. Additionally, they hardly seem to eat anything. All I can summise is that they must binge on terrible food when not at work and avoid any kind of physical activity. The daft thing is is that I eat 3 times as much as any of them, have much more energy and am much stronger and fitter. I cycle semi competitively (10-15hrs a week, usually) and resistance train (3-4hrs) and enjoy it a great deal. I'm very skinny for a strength athlete and very bulky for a cyclist, and that's just fine. What I find so challenging is figuring out how to encourage people to increase their activity levels a bit. I've one colleague who lives 5km from work (directly on my cycle commute) and I've suggested she cycle. It's a quiet, flat road and very scenic. But she's terrified of getting out of breath on the tiny little hill halfway. I've tried to suggest that getting a bit out of breath is sort of the point, but she won't consider it. If you can't even get someone to cycle 3 miles to save themselves some cash to get to work, there seems like there is little hope to tackle wider issues.

[@thewaterbear]

Dear Dr. Mike, i appreciate your compassion and dedication to modalities that actually work. (side note, i think your 'proportion of old school doctors' is only accurate for patients that are men. Patients that are women have a much harder time being taken seriously with regard to symptoms. It doesn't matter how much weight you lose if you already have stage 2 leukemia when you walk in the doctors office.)

[@missylee3022]

Very well said. Probably the most reasonable take of this that I have heard on KZbin.

[@devinm124]

Getting my dad on a healthier lifestyle has been a challenge. It really sucks that we live in a society that doesn’t force on but surrounds on all sides unhealthy lifestyles. Especially on TV! Then they put you on medications instead of giving you tough love like my man right here is doing! Let’s go

[@johnryan1069]

I wish I could have taken one of your classes. Rock on man.

[@Treklosopher]

I appreciate the candor and compassion, Dr. Mike. Hope you get better quickly!

[@justalurkr]

I'm 61, female, clean blood numbers, low side of normal blood pressure, and weigh 60 to 80 pounds more than I 'should', depending on whom you ask. The appeal of "healthy at any size" is strong when it comes to meal prep time or getting off the couch and farmer's walking around the block, but my knees and lower back hurt, so I ignore the appeal (mostly; it's a work in progress.) The low side of normal blood pressure and numerically high but favorably balanced cholesterol seem to make my doctor bite her tongue the hardest, but now I have some sobering data to consider: my mom was about this age when her issues (breast cancer, heart disease, and kidney failure) started to come out from under the hood. She made it to 80, but I have to wonder how much longer she could have lived (and how much more comfortably) if she'd gotten organized about weight management and mental hygiene (because the women in my family can be some piping hot messes of chronic depression.) Anyway, thank you for the evidence based information and reframing of how to handle obesity with compassionate but effective support.

[@HerculesFit]

Appreciate the serious tone with this video. Society needs to have a greater discussion of the dangers of obesity and the problems associated with it, instead of the normalization we see of it. Great video, Dr. Mike.

[@mrbouncelol]

Great video but I'm not sure about society needing to have a greater discussion about obesity... nearly everyone knows its unhealthy, is decreasing their quality of life, and is shortening their lifespan. If you want society to have a discussion lets tackle alcohol lol

[@HerculesFit]

@@mrbouncelol Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S, ranking above alcohol. I think it's safe to say obesity deserves a greater discussion.

[@Darknight526]

@@HerculesFit Alcohol beats obesity? Really? I would've thought it's the other way around.

[@arihaviv8510]

​@@mrbouncelolno they really don't. They don't know a lot about health and fitness which is why we have so many fad diets and obesity in the first place

[@zawarudo1041]

Not society, but Twitter/tiktok "folks" - people who cry "believe ze science" while actively rejecting any scientific proof, regardless whether it is about human biology, human genome, human diet composition, statistics, demography, and even math and physics 😅

[@mellel5594]

Great video, Dr. Mike! Your tone and your approach are very admirable. I bet that you're a great professor!! ✌🏾

[@Uzi_does_it76]

It’s amazing how delusional we, the overweight, can be about our health. You could have told me I was morbidly obese, in fact my doctor did, until you were blue in the face and I just wasn’t hearing it. Even weighing in regularly, I just couldn’t see it. That was until I turned 45 and my borderline diabetics turned into full on type 2 diabetes and I had a major wake-up call. That’s when I finally started to get my shit in gear and started taking my health seriously. Honestly, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, I’m in shape now, reversed my type 2, and have excellent blood markers. Now looking back at pictures of me a few years ago is shocking, I was damned obese. I don’t know how I couldn’t see it.

[@jordanwalsh1691]

That part about the fear of stepping on the scale was very relatable for me. I was mid 230s at one point, and did a very aggressive (read: irresponsible and unsustainable) diet and exercise effort. Dropped 28 pounds in the first 10 weeks or so, and I think it only took me like 6 months to reach the mid 180s. Many days I was eating probably sub 500 calories and doing 2 hours straight swimming laps. It felt great, honestly, to lose the weight so quickly and consistently. Then I got a full time job, and although my mental health improved overall due to the increased financial security, the new demands on my time and work stress caused my diet and gym attendance to drop off completely over the following couple years. I recently went back to the gym, and it was a very hard mental step for exactly the reasons mentioned. I knew my weight was way higher from my waist size alone, but it was intimidating to put a number on how far I had fallen. Turned out I was at 270, which was worse than I'd hoped, better than I'd feared. The weight's coming off slower than I'd like, but I have a better and growing understanding of what is and is not sustainable, and where the effort and experimentation is needed. For example, turns out it's tricky to fit household chores and an hour and a half of gym+travel time into an evening for me, so I need to see what works there. The biggest thing so far was to come to terms with the fact that fitness happens at the gym, weight loss happens at the grocery store. All this to say, I don't know if Dr. Israetel has gone through these weight loss experiences first hand or purely through research and second hand accounts, but the psychological elements he touches on are very close to my experience of being fat.

[@werdwerdus]

I can't believe this was Doctor Mike's actual last video. Thank you for all the amazing help you have given us for free for these years! Party on, Mike

[@heypepper]

At 42 I was 353 pounds (5'11") And I felt absolutely awful. Tore my bicep tendon doing something stupid easy, and the bloodwork for surgery was horrific. Scared me into weight loss. I'm now 226 and feel worlds better, but still have a ways to go. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and calorie count like crazy. I have learned to eat for fuel most of the time but with foods that I can still enjoy, and I actually schedule once a week something that I really love to eat. I have completely cut out fast food and alcohol, those were the two things that I stay away from because I feel they'd drag me back under. Food addiction is real, and it is HARD to break, but anyone who thinks they can be over 300 pounds in their 40's and feel fine is kidding themselves. You're all beautiful people no matter how big you are, but if you want to be beautiful longer the real answer is sadly 'put down the fork.' Spot on with how we treat obese people though instead so please show people compassion, I promise you they are struggling with this everyday. On a side note, thank you Dr. Mike, you're videos have changed my workouts. Found you this month, and started working on slowing down my eccentric motion, and I can't believe how much of a difference I see in just a month.