Set Point Theory

If you work in the eating disorder field or have been to eating disorder treatment, you’ve likely heard of the term set point theory. In short, set point theory suggests that our bodies have a natural weight range, called a set point. One’s set point is determined by many different factors, but it’s mainly impacted by genetics, hormones, metabolism, and brain chemistry. Your set point is essentially like an “equilibrium weight.” It’s the weight at which your body functions best, and your body works hard to stay at that weight because it likes to stay in equilibrium.

So why is set point theory talked about so much in eating disorder recovery? Many individuals with eating disorders attempt to use food and nutrition to control and manipulate their weight. People can become consumed with counting calories in an effort to control their body size. Healthcare and society as a whole are obsessed with BMI, and many people use BMI as a way to assess their health or worth. But set point theory reminds us that everyone has a different weight at which their body functions best, and that weight may or may not fall within the so-called “normal” BMI range.

A common fear in eating disorder recovery is that if someone allows themselves to eat freely, they’ll just keep gaining and gaining weight. Set point theory helps challenge that fear. It suggests that although weight gain might happen in recovery, your body knows what it’s doing. Once it reaches its equilibrium or set point, it will settle and stay there.

We aren't just “calories in, calories out” machines. Some days we eat a little more, and some days we eat a little less. If we're within our set point range, those daily fluctuations in food intake won't drastically impact our weight. Our bodies are smart, and recovery is about learning to trust them again.

A big part of eating disorder recovery is learning to accept your set point, and for many, that set point is likely higher than what their eating disorder would want. Ultimately, recovery involves understanding that weight is not something meant to be tightly controlled. Trying to control your weight long term is incredibly difficult and often unsustainable. Our bodies are biologically wired to seek equilibrium, and that drive is what keeps us alive. Just like our bodies regulate things like blood pressure and body temperature, they also regulate weight, and they do so for our survival.

That’s why chronic dieters often feel frustrated when they can’t sustain weight loss, or when they stop losing weight despite being in a so-called “calorie deficit.” Sometimes they lose weight more slowly than expected, or they regain the weight later on. That’s not failure. It’s your body doing what it’s supposed to do: protecting you and working hard to return to its natural set point.