A graphical image of a doctor analyzing the large intestine of a human.

How The Setpoint Weight Concept Promotes Evidence-Based Body Positivity

by Dr. Matt Olesiak, M.D.

Learning about setpoint weight is a great way to teach everyone to work with rather than against their bodies, not trying to meet some often unrealistic and unhealthy ideals of the "perfect" body.

Setpoint Weight with Evidence-Based Positivity: An Unbeatable Combination

A man's hands using scissors to cut through a note that reads I can't do it.

Evidence-based body positivity is about loving yourself so much that you give your body what it needs to function at its best. No stress to lose weight and no shame or misery.

You will naturally obtain the best body for yourself by working with your body’s needs.

And the set point is a huge factor in this process.

The set point theory is the idea that our bodies regulate our weight around a specific "setpoint." It's more than just a theory, though, as there is scientific evidence for a body weight setpoint. (1)

What Determines Body Weight Set Point?

Numerous factors influence your body weight set point, including:

Genetics
Hormones
Environment
Dietary habits
Stress
Lack of physical activity
Poor gut health (Gut bacteria has a MAJOR effect on metabolism and body weight set point)
History of dieting

Why Doesn't Calorie Restrictive Eating Work?

An image of an overweight man with fork in hand looking unhappily at tiny piece of apple on his plate.

Because the body is designed to keep you within a specific range of your set point weight, it will vigorously resist any attempts to crash-diet your way into that pair of jeans.

It's a scientific fact that the metabolism slows down when you eat less and speeds up when you eat more.

This is part of your body’s “starvation response.” After all, its job is to keep you alive during a famine.

Other things the body will do to try to slow weight loss is: (3)

Preserve stored fat.
Burn muscle for energy, which also slows metabolism
Adjusts hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin to get you to eat more food
And if you succeed in losing five, 10, 15 pounds by starvation dieting, you will likely regain most or all of the weight once you go back to eating "normally" again.

In addition, crash dieting has been proven to lead to weight gain in the long run. That's right. Those who yo-yo diet regain weight faster than those who never diet!

Are we saying that it’s hopeless to try to lose weight, that you are destined to remain overweight forever?

Absolutely NOT. You just have to learn to work with your body rather than against it.

First, let's discuss one of the main reasons for an elevated set point.

Natural Set Point Vs. Elevated Set Point

An image of a woman measuring her weight using scales on floor.

Barring medical conditions, most people have a healthy set point weight early in their lives.

However, routinely eating processed foods, starchy carbs, junk foods, and sugar interferes with the body's weight regulation system, causing a gradually elevated set point. Other lifestyle factors can also raise the body set point.

Your body gets confused and thinks that this is a healthy weight, and as I said earlier, it will resist every attempt you make to lose those pounds.

The science is clear that the only way to lose weight sustainably is to lower your set point by switching to a quality diet consisting of lots of nonstarch vegetables, a moderate amount of protein, and a small number of healthy fats daily.

You should also significantly reduce or eliminate your intake of heavily processed foods, starchy carbs, and sugars.

As you lower your set point, you'll be able to reach your weight loss goals -- without conscious calorie restriction, hunger, stress, and misery.

When you eat a SANE diet, you'll probably eat more food andfewercalories because healthy whole foods are filling, which tends to keep you from overeating.

In addition, nonstarchy vegetables, in particular, are incredibly low-calorie foods. So because you're giving your body the nutrition it needs without hunger, it doesn’t trigger the starvation response.

So, your body feels safe in lowering your set point and dropping those pounds.

And what about evidence-based body positivity?

Well...once you accept the fact that your body wants to weigh a certain amount at this moment -- and that there are biological reasons for this response -- you'll be able to give it what it needs instead of trying to override its hunger signals and food cravings to reach or maintain a certain number on the scales. (4) (

For example, if you're hungry, eat something that satisfies your hunger and nurtures your body, such as fibrous foods or lean protein.)

In other words, you will love yourself slim, without all the shame, guilt, and frustration that probably accompanied your previous weight loss efforts.

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