Set Point - DVD segment 8

by Mandy McMahan

In this segment we explore the concept of a healthy body weight.

Your set point weight is your body’s range of weight when it is its healthiest. This range is unique to you, and based upon many factors such as genetics, activity level, and how much your body needs just to survive. Your body suffers when it is not within its set point range. You may feel cold or moody, and your nails, hair, skin, bones, and reproductive system are all negatively affected. In order to find your body’s set point range, you need to live healthfully for at least 6 months to a year. This can be scary, but in the end you will experience less weight fluctuation and greater health throughout your entire life.

“everybody’s body works in different ways…”^{Katherine on video}

Every body is different, and what might be called “ideal” by a generic chart in your favourite magazine or even your medical doctor’s office may not necessarily be your body’s ideal weight in order to be healthy and energized. Your healthy weight is what is also called your set point weight. It is the weight and shape when your body is its happiest, and the weight your body will work hard to maintain.

Here’s what some women in our survey and on the video have to say about set point:

“eating healthy and do an activity that you enjoy and unless you have a metabolic problem or something your body should find its happy medium on its own”¹⁰⁹

“…take into consideration muscle mass and physical activity requirements….maintaining stability within that range… avoiding excessive gains or losses”¹⁰⁵

“…For an everyday person…being within range of your own body mass index, like 10 pounds over or under isn't a big deal but I think 10 pounds over is better. It all different for guys, their weight is usually more than girls.”²¹⁸

“An unhealthy body weight can be on both extremes. A girl who is too skinny looks extremely sick and is injuring her body. And those who are overweight are the same but are injuring themselves in a different way.”¹⁸⁹

“should fit the individual and bring into effect their genes.; some people can't be super skinny for their bone structure, but they can be skinny for their size; proportional; weight and size are a reflection of life style (exercise, etc); it's going to be different for every individual, a chart cannot tell you…my body reflects my life and the activities that I do”²⁰⁶

its knowing how your body works; how it feels when its good and how it feels when its off.…”^{Kat on video}

When you manipulate your diet or try to ignore hunger your body makes changes in its metabolism. Your metabolism is what determines how much energy your body uses to survive. Whenever you fail to give it the nutrition it needs for daily functioning through dieting, your metabolism automatically thinks you are in the middle of a forced food shortage. In order to help you live, your metabolism slows down so it needs less energy to survive. It also cuts back on many of the ‘extras’ that food provides. Some of these so-called ‘extras’ include keeping you warm, healthy hair and nails, nourished skin, and even strong bones and healthy muscle. All of these cutbacks are ways of your body telling you it needs more food. See the box “Set point in science” at the end of this section to learn about the impact of weight suppression throught dieting.

As Karrin the dietitian mentions on the video, there are also long term consequences of not meeting your body’s needs to stay at its set point. Bone density suffers, putting dieters at risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures and breaks later in life. Dieting to an unhealthy weight during the growth years of your teens and early twenties can also put you at an increased risk for long term difficulties with menstruation and reproductive functioning. In some cases, a body striving to stay at its set point weight will actually break down muscle, including protective muscle around the heart, in order to meet its energy requirements.

Exercise 8.1: In the video Karen said that when she is dieting she gets moody and isn’t fun to be around.

· Have you or anyone you know ever dipped below a personal healthy weight?

· What was your (or your friend’s) mood like when trying to lose the weight?

· What were some other changes in behavior that you may have noticed?

Your body’s other way of trying to stay at its set point is to give you signals to eat, and eat big. Eating more food than you normally would during a meal and feeling like you have an uncontrollable appetite is a common result of restricting your body from what it needs. When you skip meals or snacks your body starts to wonder if this is going to be a regular thing. So the next time you do eat, your body drives you to make up for not only the food you missed, but also the food it may not be getting in the future. Your body cues you to binge eat because it is uncertain of when it will be getting fed next. This is all because it fights to keep you at your personal set point weight.

There are number of legit reasons your body may shift out of its healthy weight range. Illness, babies, stress, growth, and especially growth in your teens and twenties may cause your body to go beyond a weight you are used to. That’s okay; your body will naturally find its healthy balance as long as you don’t try to manipulate it. If you start restricting your intake or trying to somehow control your weight, your body will inevitably fight back. Amanda spoke on the video about her experience at the weight loss clinic? When she attempted to diet to lose weight she actually gained weight. Now, Amanda has found health in making small lifestyle changes rather than deliberately dieting to lose weight beyond what is within her body’s set point.

Resource: Even rats strive for their set point.

Scientists studied two groups of rats; those who were given free access to eat as much as they wanted (non-dieting), and those who had their food regulated (dieting). After 24 days of dieting (or eating normally for the non-dieting group) the rats were given 24 hours of free access to high-fat food. During this time, the rats on the diets ate more than double the amount of calories compared to the non-dieting rats. Once the dieting rats were given normal amounts of food they stopped binging, and eventually their weights returned to their pre-dieting set point. Source: Ogawa., R., Strader, A.D., Clegg, D.J., Sakai, R.R., Seeley, R.J., & Woods, S.C. (2005). Chronic food restriction and reduced dietary fat: Risk factors for bouts of overeating. Physiology and Behavior, 86(4), 578-585.

How to Determine Your Set Point?

….trust my body, I think that’s the hugest thing that I struggle with....its going to do what its supposed to do if I let it and not manipulate it, and that’s so hard, but its worth it…”^{Karen
on video}

So what’s the best way figure out your set point weight? The secret is that there is no secret. Eat healthy when you are hungry, engage in fun and energizing activities, and learn to trust your body’s cues and natural reactions to life changes. If you are still not sure if this set point idea is right for you, than the best thing to do is to put it to the test. Ideally, you want to practise a non-dieting approach and engage in healthy activities for 6-12 months. Once this trial period is up you can judge for yourself. Ask yourself how you feel. More than likely you will feel healthier, more energized, and thinking clearer than you ever have while trying to manipulate your body’s set point weight. Try this activity to get you started.

Exercise 8.2: If someone could wave a magic wand and make your body invisible to the world:

· What would you eat?

· How much would you exercise?

· How would you spend your free time, energy, and talents?

· What else would be different about your approach towards a healthier you?

· Write your answers down and try one day of living this life and see how you feel.

· If you like it, try it again.

· Or even try it for an entire week and see how you feel.

· It’s all about small steps when it comes to finding your set point.

This simple approach to a healthy body and mind may not be easy, especially at first. It might feel scary to begin to trust your body, and at times you may be uncomfortable or feel anxious about how your body will respond to your new approach. Right now your body is still changing and it can be hard to figure out what weight and shape your body will eventually settle into. Amanda expressed concern on the video that the weight gain she has experienced in recent years will continue into her adult years. It may be tempting to try and take charge and stop your body from making these natural changes, but rest assured that if you can learn to live healthfully and trust your body and its natural growth, your weight will stabilize and settle at its happiest and healthiest.

Resource: Set point in science.

The harmful and widespread consequences of dieting have been known for quite some time. Almost 60 years ago a scientist by the name of Keys and 36 male volunteers investigated what happens when normally healthy people are deprived of adequate nutrition. For the first part of the experiment, volunteers were carefully monitored while they ate normally. After 3 months of monitoring, their food intake was cut in half. After about 6 months on their reduced calorie diet, the volunteers lost not only 25% of their weight, but also their physical and mental well-being: Here are just some of the problems they encountered when cutting back on their calories.

Physical changes: The metabolism of the volunteers was reduced about 40%, meaning the amount of food needed to survive had been cut almost in half in order to adjust to their restricted calorie intake. The heart rates, respiration, and body temperatures of the volunteers were also lowered. When eating less, the men experienced problems with digestion, sleeplessness, dizziness, headaches, and many had tingling sensations in their hands and feet and felt bloated due to fluid retention. The volunteers also reported extra sensitivity to noise and light, visual problems, muscle weakness, and difficulties in coordination.

Psychological changes: Although selected for the study because they were most psychologically healthy of the volunteers, the men in the experiment suffered severe emotional distress as a result of their decreased energy intake. Depression was common, but some reportedly also had rapid shifts between excitement and feeling very low. A number of men also experienced bouts of anger, irritability, and anxiety. Some even took up smoking in order to calm their nerves. The volunteers even began to obsess about food; thinking and talking about it constantly.

Social changes: During the experiment the volunteers became very withdrawn and isolated from one another and their romantic relationships suffered greatly.

Once they began to eat normally many of the volunteers binged on huge amounts of food, only to be hungry for a snack an hour later. Yet, despite their insatiable hunger, the volunteers did not become obese when they began eating healthy again. Most of the men gained back the weight they lost and about 10% extra. However, even this extra weight came off after about 6 months of normal eating.

Sounds pretty crazy that people would volunteer for this experiment, doesn’t it? The physical, psychological, and social changes they experienced were hardly something fun. Yet, this is exactly what dieters do every day. Diets that require you to take in less than your body needs are essentially asking you to volunteer to get your body into starvation mode. Wouldn’t you rather do something good for your body?

Source: Keys, A. (1950). The biology of human starvation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.