Your ‘best weight’ is the healthiest weight you can achieve and maintain while still enjoying your life.
It’s not about chasing a perfect number, but finding a sustainable, way of living that feels good. This weight reflects a lifestyle that supports your long-term health without being overly restrictive or exhausting.
“After bariatric surgery, I lost weight but regained some despite eating and moving the same. Obesity medications helped me maintain a steady weight and good blood results. I’m at my best weight.”
Susie
What influences your weight?
Weight is shaped by over 100 factors – biological, emotional, environmental and social.
Some factors that influence your weight:
– Your genes and weight history
– Hormones and gut bacteria
– Where you live, work or play
– Food marketing and portion sizes
– Your sleep, stress and emotional wellbeing
– Certain medications or medical conditions
– Life stages like pregnancy or menopause
– Culture, family habits and social norms
– Access to physical activity or nutritious food
– Income and time
You may be able to change some of these factors, but others are out of your control – and that’s okay. These things are part of who you are and your own unique story.
Why weight loss is so difficult
Our bodies are designed to resist weight loss. When you lose weight, your body fights back by:
slowing your metabolism
increasing your hunger hormones
decreasing feelings of fullness
This is your body trying to protect you. But in today’s world that’s full of processed junk foods and limited opportunities to move more, it can make managing your weight even harder.
Obesity is not a choice – it's a medical condition
When weight begins to affect your health or quality of life, it may be diagnosed as obesity. Obesity is not caused by laziness, poor choices or lack of willpower.
It’s influenced by:
– genetics
– hormones and metabolism
– the brain and nervous system
– environment
– social and economic factors
Obesity requires long-term care and support, just like other long-term (or chronic) health conditions. If you’ve lost and regained weight, you are not alone – this is a natural biological response.
“If people can understand that obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that has multiple causes, they’ll seek help sooner. My daughter inherited my genes and attends a multi-disciplinary team. I am hoping this will mean she will not go through the stigma, shame and physical barriers that I have had from living with obesity from three years of age.”
Bernadette
Understanding your body composition
Your weight includes fat, muscle, bone and organs. Together, these make up your body composition:
Visceral fat (around your organs) increases health risk more than subcutaneous fat (under your skin).
Apple-shaped bodies tend to store more visceral fat, while pear-shaped bodies store more fat around the hips and thighs.
Some people can store fat more safely than others – this helps explain why people at the same weight can have different levels of health.
Shifting the focus from weight to health
To weigh or not to weigh
Your weight is just one piece of your health story – not the whole picture. For some, weighing themselves helps track progress. For others, it can feel unhelpful or even harmful. You get to decide what’s right for you.
You do not need to weigh yourself to improve your health.
If you choose to weigh yourself, aim for no more than once a week, using the same scales at the same time of day.
Focus on trends over time, not daily fluctuations – your weight naturally changes due to hydration, digestion, hormones and more.
“I was so focused on the number on the scale that I missed all the ways I was getting healthier.”
Peter
If stepping on the scale changes how you feel about yourself, or if it becomes the only way you measure progress, it may be helpful to shift focus to other signs of health and wellbeing – what we often call non-scale victories.
Finding what works for you
Real success isn’t about reaching a “perfect” weight – it’s about improving your health in ways that matter to you. That could mean you have more energy, better sleep, need to take fewer medications, or you start to feel more like yourself again.
“Having been put on a diet at age 7 to fit my communion dress, this began a lifelong journey of self-criticism which has been difficult to reverse. The psychological impact of excess weight needs to be addressed – the focus should not always be the number on the scales.”
Mary-Frances
Why small sustainable changes matter
Many ‘diets’ fizzle out quickly because they are too restrictive or unrealistic. Start with small, achievable goals. Even a modest weight loss of 5% over 3-6 months, if relevant and maintained, can benefit your:
blood pressure and cholesterol
blood sugar and risk of developing diabetes
asthma control
risk of stroke or heart disease
fertility and menstrual health
liver, kidney and joint health
mental wellbeing
sleep and energy levels
But remember – not everyone needs to lose weight. If weight loss isn’t your goal, that’s okay too.
What does success look like for you?
If you’re rethinking what progress means, consider these alternative health goals:
feeling more energised during the day
sleeping better
improving your relationship with food
moving your body in ways that feel good
feeling stronger or more flexible
noticing less joint pain
needing less medication
better blood pressure, glucose or cholesterol
boosting mental wellbeing
eating more fruit, vegetables or fibre
managing stress more effectively
“Better sleep, fewer meds, more energy — that’s success too.”
Peter
Reflect and reset
Rather than chasing a number, ask yourself:
What habits make me feel good?
What helps me feel stronger, more mobile, or more like myself?
What changes can I realistically enjoy and sustain?
What does my version of success look like?
Try jotting down a few goals that excite or motivate you.
BMI and waist measurement – what they do and don’t tell us
When used together, body mass index (BMI) and waist measurement can give a general sense of risk, but they don’t define your health.
Body mass index
BMI is a simple measure of weight relative to height. It doesn’t capture muscle mass, fat distribution or ethnicity-based risk.
Your waist measurement gives insight into visceral fat and heart health risk. For example, risk increases at waist sizes:
Over 88cm (35 inches) for women
Over 102cm (40 inches) for men
Waist measurement has some limitations though. For example, it is not accurate in women who are pregnant, children and people with an enlarged middle due to a medical condition.
Aim to keep your waist measurement to half your height. For example, if you are 170cm tall, aim to keep your waist measurement less than 85cm.
This video explains how to measure your waist and find out if it’s less or more than half your height.
People of Asian, Black African, African-Caribbean and Middle Eastern backgrounds may develop weight-related conditions at lower BMIs. For these groups:
BMI over 23kg/m² may increase risk
Waist over 80cm (women) or 90cm (men) may signal elevated risk
Challenging weight stigma
“Many different things make you who you are. Every body is worthy of dignity and respect, regardless of shape or size.”
Orna O’Brien, Dietitian
Many people have a poor understanding of what causes overweight and obesity. This means that people living in bigger bodies can be made to feel shame, guilt or anxiety because of their body size or shape.
Weight stigma is when people are treated unfairly due to their size. Weight stigma is not acceptable, but it still happens – in workplaces, schools, public places, families, the media, healthcare – even in children’s books. This can lead to:
stress, anxiety, low self-esteem
avoidance of exercise or health services
higher blood pressure and cholesterol
Internalised weight bias (believing negative stereotypes about yourself) can make it harder to live a healthy lifestyle.
“I forced myself to see the Eagles live, even though I was terrified. I realised they wouldn’t sound better if I was thinner. I had stopped living.”
Susie
How you can help combat weight stigma
Many people have a poor understanding of what causes overweight and obesity. This means that people living in bigger bodies can be made to feel shame, guilt or anxiety because of their body size or shape.
Weight stigma is when people are treated unfairly due to their size. Weight stigma is not acceptable, but it still happens – in workplaces, schools, public places, families, the media, healthcare – even in children’s books. This can lead to:
stress, anxiety, low self-esteem
avoidance of exercise or health services
higher blood pressure and cholesterol
Internalised weight bias (believing negative stereotypes about yourself) can make it harder to live a healthy lifestyle.
Educate yourself and others
Learn about weight stigma and challenge common myths.
Avoid stereotypes
Don’t assume health, habits or abilities based on weight.
Change the conversation
Focus on non-appearance-based compliments and language
Advocate for inclusivity
Support policies that promote size inclusivity in workplaces, healthcare and public spaces.
Support others
Listen, challenge fatphobic comments and stand up against discrimination.
Examine personal biases
Reflect on and unlearn internalised weight stigma.
Use ‘People First’ language
For example, ‘person with a bigger body’ instead of ‘obese person’.
“Weight stigma divides us, but kindness and education can unite us.”
Orna O’Brien, dietitian
Struggling with food? You’re not alone
Eating disorders and disordered eating are serious health issues that can affect anyone, regardless of body size, age or gender. These conditions often involve using food to cope with difficult emotions or stressful situations, and they can lead to significant mental and physical health risks, including heart disease.
If food feels like a source of distress, know that you’re not alone and support is available. Speak to your GP or visit BodyWhys.ie for trusted information and help.
“I thought I had to fix it alone – but therapy helped me change.”
Ruth
What is disordered eating?
Disordered eating includes a range of eating behaviours that may not meet the criteria for a diagnosed eating disorder but still impact your wellbeing. This might include:
frequently dieting or cutting out food groups
feeling guilt or shame after eating
using exercise to ‘earn’ or ‘burn off’ food
obsessing over food, weight or body image
Types of eating disorders
Some common patterns include:
Binge eating disorder:
Involves eating large amounts of food in a short period, often in secret, with feelings of shame or loss of control.
Restrictive eating:
Skipping meals, avoiding certain foods or food groups, or eating far less than needed.
Purging:
Trying to get rid of food through vomiting, laxatives or excessive exercise.
Night eating syndrome:
Low appetite in the morning, strong cravings in the evening, and disrupted sleep and mood.
If you recognise any of these signs in yourself or someone you care about, please reach out. Help is available – you don’t have to face it alone.
