Obesity has been labeled an epidemic, with approximately two-thirds of US citizens over the age of 15 living with excess weight. This number has risen gradually over the past 50 years, but is at an all-time high and is expected to continue increasing. More children are growing up obese, and the consequences of being overweight as a child are becoming more and more evident, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even certain forms of cancer.

Most people who are overweight or obese have tried losing weight in the past through some combination of diet and exercise. There are literally thousands of weight loss products out there, some of which are moderately helpful, other ones are outright dangerous. The reason that the weight loss industry continues to thrive, despite the many failed attempts that these common weight loss solutions tend to deliver, is that the desire to lose weight outweighs the difficulty of trying—or at least that is how it was.

Research indicates that there is an alarming trend developing in the United States among overweight and obese populations. More and more people are coming to terms with their excess body weight and are making the choice to not lose weight, but instead to remain overweight or obese. This is an alarming trend, one that has many weight loss doctors concerned for the health of the general population.

While it is a positive trend to see people embrace their body the way it is, or to proclaim self-love and to discourage constant thoughts of change or betterment, the decision to not lose weight is one that comes with a lot of potentially hazardous consequences.

Loving your-self and wanting what is best for yourself have to go hand in hand. When you start a weight loss program, one of the first things that your weight loss surgeon will recommend is finding a support group, finding people who will help you appreciate what you have, who you are and how you are. Loving your-self and being comfortable with yourself in this way is imperative for making progress towards a happier and healthier version of yourself. Loving your-self and appreciating yourself does not mean that you have to accept yourself as you are.

Losing weight is not about aesthetic values. While many people want to lose weight because of the way they look or the clothing they wish to wear, weight loss is much more about health than anything else. Obesity puts you at major health risks, and losing weight can reduce and in some cases even reverse the onset of dangerous diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

It is great to see an increase of comfort and appreciation towards the body and self across the country, but don’t mistake that comfort with the way things are as being a resignation for the way things will be. Weight loss is about health, and loving yourself should be about health, too.