As summer approaches, newspaper headlines encourage us to swap our comfy slippers for sneakers and burn off those "accumulated calories" with a side of raclette. Every year, many people succumb to the pressure of weight-loss routines, as if losing weight automatically translates to greater happiness. As if feeling baggy in jeans is the epitome of fulfillment. Yet, a recent study is challenging everything we thought we knew about weight loss.<\/p>\n
As summer approaches, magazines fill up with detox recipes, "miracle" nutritional advice, and at-home workouts, urging the general public to shed a few pounds to strut their stuff on the warm sand. It's no longer raclette cheese that's melting away, but figures, as if lowering the number on the scale somehow boosts one's sense of well-being.<\/p>\n
If we are to believe these pronouncements filled with injunctions, happiness hinges on a few inches around the waist and resides in bland salads, size 6 clothes, and "fat-burning" herbal teas. To feel good mentally, one must feel good physically, and that's impossible with love handles, a marshmallow belly, and thighs that rub together. At least, that's what society has convinced us of, associating a flat stomach with vitality.<\/p>\n
Many are taken in by these enticing promises and embark on drastic diets, hoping to rejoice at their new reflection. Except that, on paper, losing weight is "idyllic," but in reality, it's a source of heartache. Far from bringing happiness, that number on the scale, which testifies to months of deprivation and relentless exercise, evokes nothing but despair. A study<\/a> from University College London refutes this idea that thinness is the cure for happiness. And the pronouncements printed on glossy paper sound more like lies than benign advice.<\/p>\n In the collective imagination, losing weight is an accomplishment, a personal success, a reason for congratulations. Society has done a fine job of brainwashing us with this diet-friendly version. It's therefore difficult to imagine feeling down about this much-desired physical change. Yet, very often, the aftermath falls short of expectations. And ultimately, even with "fewer pounds," morale remains low.<\/p>\n Losing a significant amount of weight doubles the risk of feeling sad, lonely, or even depressed, compared to someone who hasn't lost weight or who has even gained weight. To reach these conclusions, researchers followed nearly 2,000 overweight or obese individuals. At the end of the analysis period, 14% of participants had lost at least 5% of their body weight. Yet, their psychological state had not improved; quite the opposite, in fact.<\/p>\n People who lost weight were 78% more likely to develop depressive symptoms compared to others. Thus, despite improvements in some health indicators, such as blood pressure, they lacked a zest for life. The reason? The yo-yo effect, the feeling of stagnation, the slow progress in seeing results in the mirror, the sense of making efforts in vain. Losing weight involves many sacrifices, without real rewards at the end. "People shouldn't expect to suddenly see all aspects of their lives improve,"<\/em> warns Sarah Jackson, one of the study's researchers.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the moral of this study is clear: it's better to change your perspective than your body. Just because you can fit into those pants from your younger days and zip up that dress doesn't mean you're rid of all your worries. Besides, those hard-won pounds quickly reappear.<\/p>\n According to a study published in the scientific journal New Scientist<\/a> , approximately 85% of people considered " overweight<\/a> " who lose at least one-tenth of their weight regain it the following year. So what's the point of depriving yourself of dessert at a restaurant and resisting the allure of a good burger if you're just going to end up back at your starting weight?<\/p>\n Seizing life to the fullest before being devoured by societal pressures\u2014that's the right philosophy. Instead of transforming our bodies to conform to beauty standards, we transform our mindset. Instead of toning our bodies, we strengthen our self-esteem. Because the real revolution isn't about "losing a few pounds," but about freeing ourselves from the pressures that convince us we must change to deserve happiness. Learning to inhabit our bodies as they are, with all their variations and unique characteristics, remains undoubtedly the healthiest approach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As summer approaches, newspaper headlines encourage us to swap our comfy slippers for sneakers and burn off those...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":436637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5639],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-436636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bien-etre"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/perte-de-poids-bonheur-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/perte-de-poids-bonheur-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/perte-de-poids-bonheur.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5639,"name":"Well-being","slug":"bien-etre","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5804,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Well-being section of The Body Optimist shares practical advice on staying active, sleeping better, managing stress and understanding everyday aches and pains. Written for women of every size and body type, it starts from a simple idea: taking care of your body works best through enjoyment and consistency, not pressure or guilt.<\/p>\n When you return to physical activity, consistency matters more than intensity. A few ways to ease back in:<\/p>\n Everyday movement counts too: walking or biking to get around, taking the stairs and gardening all add up as physical activity.<\/p>\n Here, your body isn't a project to fix. We talk about exercise for pleasure, mood and health, never as a way to \u201cmake up for\u201d a meal or to lose weight, and every tip should work for you whatever your body type. The articles in this section provide general information and do not replace advice from a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking. It also stresses that some activity is better than none: every session counts, even a short one, and what matters most is finding a pace you can keep up over the long run.<\/p>\n Consistency is the first lever: go to bed and get up at similar times, weekends included. A quiet, dark, cool bedroom, less screen time in the evening and a dinner that isn't too late all make it easier to fall asleep. Loud snoring or waking up gasping for air is worth mentioning to your doctor.<\/p>\n Ongoing fatigue can have many causes: lack of sleep, stress or mental overload, but also iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or depression. If it lasts several weeks despite rest, or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor to find out what's behind it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Explore all our topics in the Health section<\/a>, follow moms-to-be in the Pregnancy section<\/a> and enjoy a varied way of eating, without restriction, with the Nutrition section<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":360,"count":1714,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5639,"category_count":1714,"category_description":" The Well-being section of The Body Optimist shares practical advice on staying active, sleeping better, managing stress and understanding everyday aches and pains. Written for women of every size and body type, it starts from a simple idea: taking care of your body works best through enjoyment and consistency, not pressure or guilt.<\/p>\n When you return to physical activity, consistency matters more than intensity. A few ways to ease back in:<\/p>\n Everyday movement counts too: walking or biking to get around, taking the stairs and gardening all add up as physical activity.<\/p>\n Here, your body isn't a project to fix. We talk about exercise for pleasure, mood and health, never as a way to \u201cmake up for\u201d a meal or to lose weight, and every tip should work for you whatever your body type. The articles in this section provide general information and do not replace advice from a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking. It also stresses that some activity is better than none: every session counts, even a short one, and what matters most is finding a pace you can keep up over the long run.<\/p>\n Consistency is the first lever: go to bed and get up at similar times, weekends included. A quiet, dark, cool bedroom, less screen time in the evening and a dinner that isn't too late all make it easier to fall asleep. Loud snoring or waking up gasping for air is worth mentioning to your doctor.<\/p>\n Ongoing fatigue can have many causes: lack of sleep, stress or mental overload, but also iron deficiency, a thyroid disorder or depression. If it lasts several weeks despite rest, or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor to find out what's behind it.<\/p>\n Want to go further? Explore all our topics in the Health section<\/a>, follow moms-to-be in the Pregnancy section<\/a> and enjoy a varied way of eating, without restriction, with the Nutrition section<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Well-being","category_nicename":"bien-etre","category_parent":360}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436636"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436636\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":436838,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436636\/revisions\/436838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} When disappointment outweighs satisfaction<\/h2>\n
Self-acceptance, the best prescription<\/h2>\n
What you'll find in the Well-being section<\/h2>\n
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How do you get back into exercise after a long break?<\/h2>\n
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Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How much exercise do you need each week?<\/h3>\n
How can you sleep better?<\/h3>\n
Why am I tired all the time?<\/h3>\n
What you'll find in the Well-being section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get back into exercise after a long break?<\/h2>\n
\n
Our approach<\/h2>\n
Articles to get you started<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How much exercise do you need each week?<\/h3>\n
How can you sleep better?<\/h3>\n
Why am I tired all the time?<\/h3>\n