The Importance Of Telling Others

We have seen many patients at our clinic that inform us that they are electing to not tell their friends and family that they are on a weight control journey.  Although most of these people do not provide us with specifics as to why they are keeping their plans “secret” here as several potential reasons:

  • Fear of failure:  The thought process is that if the person tells others he/she is trying to lose weight and success is not achieve, there is fear that others will see the person as a “failure”.
  • Concern that the weight control efforts will negatively impact others:  Losing weight requires the restriction/avoidance of high carb snacks/foods, desserts, alcohol and other “fun” foods and drinks.  The weight-losing person may be concerned that by informing others of the need to restrict these foods/drinks, the “others” may feel obligated to do the same.
  • Fear of sabotage:  If the weight-losing person has had the experience in the past of friends/spouse intentionally derailing his /her efforts, the weight losing person will avoid telling others.  
  • Fear of having people know money is being spent on weight loss efforts: This last one often occurs between spouses.   Money spending is one of the most contentious issues of any marriage and if the person fears that she/he will be ridiculed for spending $$$ on a program such as ours, that person will not tell others.

I strongly recommend that the weight-losing person tell people of their intentions to shed the weight.  Almost as importantly, I also suggest that the weight-losing person ask for the help of his/her friends and relatives.  Your friends and relatives love you and want you to live a long, healthy life.  They realize, just like you, that the excessive weight places you in jeopardy of developing a whole bunch of very dangerous medical conditions.  The Covid experience has hammered home even more the incredible importance of weight control.

Do not keep your weight control efforts a secret…tell others.

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