Weight loss = Happiness?

No matter what brings a women into counseling, I have found one consistent issue - the vast majority maintain the belief that if only they could lose weight, they would be happy.

This is true no matter what size a woman is - she can be overweight, underweight or at the so called "ideal weight" put forth by our culture.

Even women who fit the "ideal" still worry about the scale and want to ensure they do not gain weight!

I counsel women that happiness is not found in a dress size, jean size or numbers on the scale. Of course clothing manufacturers tap in to this belief with the use of vanity sizing. (For more on this, see blog post, Vanity Sizing). So many women who believe in the power and magic of a number are disappointed. If they manage to lose the weight, they discover they are still not happy.

Instead of spending money on weight loss tools and products (a billion dollar industry), use the money to take attend seminars or see a counselor to better understand what is really missing in your life. You do not have to have a mental illness to benefit from talking to an person trained to help you uncover what really contributes to your unhappiness.

A study was done that looks at the issue of weight and happiness (link available below). I encourage you to read it.

Weight Loss Doesn't Always Lead to Happiness

Remember happiness is not found on the scale!

Vanity Sizing

I hate shopping for clothes! Not because of body image issues but because I cannot go into a store and buy an article of clothing without trying it on first. Why? Because there does not seem to be a standard any more for sizing. 

To make matters worse, clothing designers and manufacturers are playing into our insecurities with vanity sizing!

So, why do clothing brands do this? It makes shopping for clothes more difficult when manufacturers don’t use the same standards for labeling, and no doubt increases return rates when products don’t fit as expected. The simple answer is that the downsized labels make customers feel good. 1

My first experience with vanity sizing occurred when shopping at a popular women's clothing store. I grabbed the size pants I knew I was typically at in most stores and found the jeans way too big. I had to go down 4 sizes! I asked the clerk what the deal was. She said something about changing the sizing for self esteem reasons. I was angry and told her I did not support that strategy, pointed out it only made the self esteem issue worse and walked out without buying the jeans.

Want to know more about vanity sizing, check out the following articles from Forbes and the Huffington Post.