15/02/2026
Is it OK to be fat?
This debate keeps resurfacing and dividing opinion into 2 loud camps:
“Fat causes poor health.”
“Fat people can be healthy.”
After 25 years working in weight management, here’s what I’ve learnt:
It’s not simple.
Yes - fat tissue can influence health markers.
And yes, weight loss can improve certain outcomes.
But so can:
💚 Reducing chronic stress
💚 Preserving muscle mass
💚 Eating consistently
💚 Sleeping properly
💚 Regulating your nervous system
💚 Not living in a cycle of restriction and regain
What rarely gets discussed is the cost of chasing weight loss at all costs, and being repeatedly told to go and achieve it, as if it were as simple as stubbing your toe!
Repeated dieting isn’t neutral.
Weight cycling isn’t neutral.
Shame isn’t neutral.
The harder we push, the more the mind and body tend to fight back.
That doesn’t mean giving up on health.
It means asking a better question:
How do I support my health without going to war with my body?
That’s a very different starting point.
And for many midlife women, it’s a much more sustainable one.
If you’re ready for a calmer way to care for your health in midlife, the Anchor Collective is open (details in bio)
Meanwhile stuck around if you this message has struck a chord 💖💚
