People Say They Have ‘Weight Blindness’Experts Explain Curious Phenomenon [Video]

A new fitness topic is trending across social media; weight blindness. It refers to the shock of stepping on a scale after months or years of avoidance — and discovering a number far higher than expected.

While this may initially seem like a cause for concern, experts suggest it can be more nuanced and not necessarily a bad thing. While others are concerned it may just be a new manifestation of the online body-shaming so prevalent on social media.

A Wake-Up Call Caught on Camera

Brooke Branigan (@brooke.paige.fit), a 32-year-old Women’s Fitness and Wellness Coach from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, is just one who shared the moment that made her confront her own weight blindness. In a now viral Instagram video—which had over 2.5 million views 6,000 likes at the time of writing—her sister captures her stepping on the scales after avoiding them for over a year.

The number the scale showed was 155.9 pounds. At 5’3″, Branigan had assumed she was …