3 psychological reasons for being overweight

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Excess weight is not always the result of banal laziness or unreasonable overeating. Sometimes the roots of this problem go much deeper. Lifehacker has compiled three scientifically based psychological causes that lead to obesity and obesity.

1. Emotional overeating

We've all heard the phrase “seize stress”. But in fact, you can seize any negative state: sadness, depression, anxiety, depression.

This process is called emotional overeating, or emotional eating, and involves making up for a deficit in good mood with a proven and readily available resource - food.

Science confirms this. In particular, a study by Swiss scientists proves that people prone to neuroticism are more likely to seize negative emotions with sweet and salty foods.

The link between obesity and depression has also been repeatedly confirmed. Moreover, in this case, there is an interdependence: people suffering from excess weight are more prone to depression, and those who fall into depression are more inclined to be overweight.

American psychiatrist James Gordon reveals one of the mechanisms of this vicious circle. Foods high in sugar and fat, he says, have the potential to improve emotional well-being for a short time. But the more a person absorbs them, the fuller he becomes and the worse he thinks of himself. This aggravates depression, which leads to even more food, and at the same time extra pounds.

2. Low self-esteem and problems with responsibility

For a long time, it was believed that low self-esteem is one of the consequences of being overweight. But researchers from King's College London in 2009 concluded that the opposite could be true.

Scientists have collected information on the physical parameters and self-esteem of 6,500 ten-year-olds. Twenty years later, researchers contacted them again and found that children with low self-esteem were more likely to suffer from obesity in adulthood.

A link was also found between obesity and low responsibility. Scientists have found that people who tend to attribute their successes and failures to external circumstances are more likely to suffer from excess weight.

These addictions can manifest themselves in life in different scenarios. For example, if a person does not feel responsible for what is happening, then he can live in the confidence that he does not control his body. Or he considers himself not strong-willed enough to refuse the supplement. The result is weight gain, which for a person with low self-esteem only confirms his self-deprecating theory.

3. Violence

Studies show that childhood trauma resulting from sexual, physical, or verbal abuse significantly increases the risk of further weight gain.

American psychotherapist Mary Jo Rapini explains that in this case, fat becomes a kind of armor. For example, for women who have experienced sexual abuse, being overweight is a way to make their bodies non-sexual and thus protect themselves from male attention.

Another reason has to do with emotional eating. People with childhood trauma are more prone to depression, which, as mentioned, increases the risk of weight gain.

Finally, overeating can be a response to chronic stress experienced by someone with a childhood abuse experience, knowingly or unknowingly. Evolutionarily, in a stressful situation, the body tries to accumulate more fat in order to survive. Consequently, people who are constantly under stress are forced to put off calories all the time "for a rainy day."

What to do

1. Deal with the cause of weight gain

First, you need to understand how serious the psychological aspect is in this case. It is likely that the main reason for obesity is medical in nature or lies in the wrong food culture and unhealthy lifestyle.

However, people who have been struggling with excess weight for a long time and unsuccessfully, as a rule, think about it first. For them, trying to find the psychological root of the problem is a necessary step on the path to recovery.

2. Fight emotional overeating

Here, mindful eating will be a good help, which consists in taking food slowly and deliberately. Good old-fashioned advice about chewing (and preferably healthy) food, eating when you're really hungry, and away from your TV and computer until no one has canceled.

Also, instead of seizing your emotions, start expressing them. For example, keep a diary or try other writing practices, talk to a friend about your problems, or, ultimately, pour your worries into creativity.

3. Solve psychological problems

For people with a low level of responsibility, the first step to losing weight can be the realization of a simple fact: they are the ones who decide what and when to eat. For people with childhood trauma, a significant shift will be in understanding the benefits of being overweight in the context of that trauma.

But, since we are still talking about psychological problems, most likely, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.

Seeing a professional therapist or joining a self-help group (for overeating sufferers there are) can be a major key to healing.

For reference

Overweight is considered if a person's body mass index (BMI) exceeds 25. Obesity starts at 30. You can find out your body mass index.