Given that having obesity is associated with so many risks, it should be safe to assume that if you carry any extra weight, losing it will automatically improve your health, but researchers say that this isn’t always the case. While the associations are true on a mass population level, they don’t always hold up for individuals. Some people who carry extra weight are already healthy, fit, and not showing any signs of increased disease risk, such as high cholesterol.  Additionally, in seniors, carrying a little weight can protect against injuries from falls and provide energy if they become sick.  It’s also difficult to tease apart the effect of actual weight loss from the effects of adopting healthy habits such as maintaining a Mediterranean Diet and increasing physical activity. In many cases, these habits improve your health even if you don’t lose weight.   For example, the Mediterranean Diet is associated with a lower risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Getting in your steps leads to less overall risk of death as well. Some doctors are advocating for healthcare professionals to avoid focusing on their patients’ sizes, and instead hone in on their health-promoting habits, regardless of their weight.  To advocate for your own health at any weight or to find a doctor who won’t focus on the number on the scale to the detriment of other signs of your health, check out these resources from Health at Every Size.