External events/occasions may serve as great “motivators” for controlling weight. As an example, a person that is getting married in three months has an intense desire to lose lots of weight so he/she looks great in the wedding outfit and in the pictures/videos. That person will stay amazingly focused on his/her weight loss efforts. However, when that date arrives, often, the person than slacks off completely as the motivation is no longer there.
One of the great “motivators” for weight control is the summer “bathing suit” season. Vacations and gathering s often occur around a pool, lake or beach and the attire worn is usually a bathing suit. During the winter when bodies are covered up, this motivation does not exist, but knowing that you will be “seen” in a bathing suit often provides an intense motivator in the spring and early summer to stay committed to weight control efforts.
The year 2020 will go down in history as a year that none of us will forget, including a bunch of “norms” that have gone by the wayside. This summer, many pools are not opening and the ones that are have restrictions such as “lap swimming only”. Due to social distancing guidelines there will also not be as many pool gatherings, beach house vacations with multiple families will not occur as often and summer weddings with large receptions will simply not take place. These “motivators” for controlling weight have been removed or significantly curtailed.
However, as I have discussed (ad nauseum) a major motivation for weight control is found in the risk issues associated with serious Covid illness. Almost every risk factor, except for age, is a co-morbidity of poor weight control.
So, subtract the “swimsuit season” motivators but add the Covid risk motivator and when the dust settles, we should all be incredibly motivated to stay focused on our efforts. Not going to your second cousin’s pool party is not nearly as important as boosting your immune system to fight off the next Covid wave.
