A scapegoat for almost anything is weight. However, other factors also impact your health.

Health is more complicated than just your weight. I don't ignore the possibility that your weight has an impact on your wellbeing, but you can't reduce every facet of your health to the number on the scale. Fatphobia takes the shape of that.

More than just your weight, there are other factors that affect your health, many of which are out of your control. The genetics, environment, physical habits, access to healthcare, and social factors are the five determinants of health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another crucial aspect is mental wellness. What you should know is as follows.

Your health is directly impacted by the following factors: 

1. Genetics

Numerous aspects of our lives are determined by our genetics. The genes we inherit have an impact on our health in addition to how we look. Diseases and disorders include excessive cholesterol, some malignancies, sickle cell anaemia, and diabetes can all be predisposed to by genetics. Having a predisposition increases your odds of developing the condition, but it does not guarantee it.

Weight is also influenced genetically, with some genes favouring a person to being larger or smaller. Genes play a role in metabolism, appetite, and how fat is distributed throughout the body.

2. Environmental aspects 

The environment, including a person's home and workplace, will also have an impact on their health. A great number of other things, such as availability to clean water, healthy food, good air quality, and exposure to dangerous pollutants, are also regarded as environmental influences. Many people might not need to consider these issues. When you switch on your sink, water starts to flow. The World Health Organization estimates that environmental causes are responsible for over 12 million deaths per year.

According to studies, those who are exposed to dangerous air pollution have a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease. Burning wood or kerosene indoors or being exposed to biomaterials both raise the danger of heart-related mortality. Poorer health outcomes are more likely to affect those who lack the resources to seek general or specialised therapy.

3. Habits of the body

Let's break down our physical habits into two categories: what we eat and how much exercise we get.

We are what we eat, thus the foods we eat have a big impact on how we feel. Your health can be harmed by a diet high in processed foods and saturated fats. You are more likely to develop heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and several types of cancer as a result.

The majority of individuals link obesity to a bad diet. However, you can be overweight and make healthy dietary choices, just as you can be thin and have harmful eating habits. Diet alone cannot explain all of the factors that affect your weight, though. Your body's capacity to metabolise food, or metabolism, also has a significant impact.

Exercise is the flip side of our physical habits. One of the most crucial things we can do for our health is to exercise regularly since it maintains our bodies strong and lowers our risk of developing chronic ailments. No matter your size, exercise is beneficial to you, and it's untrue to say that obese people aren't active. Weighing more than someone who doesn't exercise at all is conceivable since our bodies have various starting points.

4. Healthcare access

Access to healthcare is one of the key factors that affects someone's health. People are more likely to experience fatal health consequences if they do not receive the appropriate prevention, diagnosis, or treatment for their diseases. Lack of insurance, transportation, and the expense of care are all obstacles to receiving medical care. Wait times are longer than ever, and care is being delayed even more as a result of the physician shortage.

It is not enough to think of access to healthcare as having the ability to walk into a doctor's office. The other side of access is what takes place while you are there.

The likelihood that someone will receive the care they require or seek treatment in the future lowers when they experience prejudice in the healthcare system. According to studies, people of colour who experience discrimination are more likely to develop high blood pressure. Similar results apply to people who encounter weight discrimination in medical settings; these people are more likely to experience a decline in their physical and mental well-being. According to a 2021 study, older persons experience the highest incidence of health care discrimination, with one in four Black or Latinx adults reporting unjust treatment.

Being able to get medical care is insufficient. You need health treatment that is effective for you. True access to healthcare looks like that.

5. Social factors

All the non-medical elements that have an impact on health outcomes are together referred to as social determinants. This encompasses a person's environment, such as the place where they were born, raised, reside, and work. It includes things like racism, political institutions, and structural policies that influence how our lives are lived and how they are shaped. Social factors are thought to be responsible for up to 50% of health outcomes.

Social determinants can be broadly divided into five categories:

  • Economic stability and socioeconomic status
  • Education \sNeighborhood
  • Social ties and the community
  • medical care

Each demographic segment will have different social determinants, allowing for health disparities that affect the kind of care someone receives. These elements affect a person's health more than their lifestyle choices do. I'll say it again: Your lifestyle decisions and weight aren't as crucial as things like your financial security, level of education, and where you reside.

But how is that even conceivable? Consider this: If someone lacks access to safe transportation to the grocery store, their ability to eat healthily suffers, as does their nutrition. Diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases are all become more likely as a result. They restrict how frequently they visit the hospital if they lack the funds to pay their medical fees.

6. Neglecting mental health

Although it ought to be, the CDC does not list mental health as a formal factor in determining health. Together, our physical and mental well-being keep us in good health. They are all a part of us; they don't exist apart.

Your chance of developing significant medical illnesses like high blood pressure and heart attacks can be decreased by maintaining strong mental health. Ignoring your mental health compromises the care you receive for current disorders, makes your condition worse, and makes it more difficult to maintain your mental health. Serious medical issues frequently coexist with depression. According to studies, experiencing depression raises your chance of cardiovascular incidents.

Having said that, many people also lack access to mental health care. Many people are prevented from receiving the necessary care due to stigma and therapy's high cost. Online treatment solutions have reduced prices and increased access to mental health services in previously underserved locations.

Too lengthy; failed to read

Although weight is a factor in our general health, it is by no means the most crucial. Our health is influenced by things including our circumstances, genetics, environment, and access to medical care. Not to mention, mental wellness.

Based on these aspects and their decisions, a person who is bigger may be in better health than a person who is slimmer. Weight is not the only factor.

First released at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 31, 2023.

This article's information is not meant to be taken as health or medical advice; rather, it is meant for educational and informational reasons only. If you have any concerns about a health objective or a medical issue, always seek the advice of a doctor or other trained health expert.