Obesity: psychological factors involved in being overweight

The obesity it is considered a pandemic in western countries. Unhealthy habits, stress, a sedentary life and a poor diet are the most frequent causes of excess weight. It is a disease that comes hand in hand with a work context that forces us to sit in an office and pay little interest in our health.

Of course, there are several disorders that can also be the cause of obesity. Medical problems such as endocrine or hormonal imbalances. These are separate cases that should be treated from a primarily medical perspective.

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The psychological and psychiatric factors of excess weight

Scientific research has focused on this disease, obesity. In the United States, more than two-thirds of adult women and up to 75% of men are overweight.

Overweight and obesity: differences

It is useful to differentiate between overweight and obesity, since they are related but not identical concepts. Both have in common that they refer to excess accumulated fat. However, people with a

Body Mass Index (BMI) from 25 to 29'9, being people who should reduce their weight in order to be healthier.

Obesity is a quantitatively and qualitatively more serious problem. Obese people exceed 30 points of BMI, and their health is at significant risk.

Treating obesity from Psychology

The causes of obesity are various and, in many cases, comorbid. This means that treatments to overcome this problem must be multifactorial: from the medical field and endocrinologist, to psychology and psychiatry can help people who suffer from this problem.

Over the last decades, a good number of therapies and treatments have been developed against this disease, especially focused on improving eating habits and enhancing the performing physical exercise. These two factors are closely linked to the reduction in body volume.

However, professionals who treat obesity have gradually realized that it is necessary to intervene in this problem with more specific and personalized approaches, through medical, nutritional, psychiatric and psychological. This deployment of professionals to tackle this problem is motivated by the human, social and economic costs that obesity generates.

Risks of obese people

Obesity is a disease that not only affects the quality of life of those affected, but also entails other important problems:

1. Comorbidity

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of other pathologies: hypertension, heart disease, cancer, sleep apnea, etc.

2. Social stigma

Unfortunately, people who suffer from this health problem are strongly stigmatized both in school and in the workplace. This leads to a decline in self-concept, increasing anxiety and worsening personal relationships.

3. Psychological and psychiatric disorders

Obesity has a high rate of comorbidity with psychopathologies, such as anxiety, addictions, depression, eating disorders, among others.

Relevant psychological aspects

As I have mentioned before, obesity has biological, psychological and cultural causes. Regarding the psychological aspects associated with excess weight, there are different approaches and studies that indicate certain possible causes, although none with a high degree of consensus.

For example, from the Psychoanalysis Obesity is usually attributed to the symbolic act of eating, and overweight is usually associated as an externalization of neurosis, associated with depression, guilt and anxiety. It is also common to associate obesity with certain underlying emotional conflicts, or with another previous mental disorder.

The psychological etiology of obesity is unclear, so intervention efforts focus on assessing and re-educating certain beliefs of the patients, in addition to knowing the affective (emotional management) and environmental variables (eating habits, habits, etc.). This variety of psychological processes involved in obesity raises the need to address the situation of each patient individually, evaluating their personality and their environment.

Psychological evaluation

Psychologists and psychiatrists can investigate and intervene in the beliefs and emotional states of obese patients with the aim of improving their quality of life. It is important for the therapist to create the appropriate environment for the patient to expose and express her affective and cognitive conflicts. Obese people usually experience low self-esteem and they have a bad image about their own body.

Self-esteem, eating habits and perception of intake

Ultimately, the therapist must not only promote changes at the level of eating habits and lifestyle, but also must find a way to reinforce the selfconcept to focus on achieving weight loss. In this sense, it is important to emphasize the importance of offering the patient tools for control of emotions, impulse, as well as anxiety management techniques.

It is noteworthy that obese patients tend to underestimate their caloric intake compared to people without weight problems. They minimize the amount of food they eat, not being fully aware that their intake is excessive. This is a common characteristic with people who suffer from other types of addictions. To control this, the psychotherapist should accompany the patient and make live records to show what amounts should be acceptable for each meal.

In short, therapy should focus not only on weight loss, but also on the process of psychological maturation that allows awareness of the problem, improving the quality of life and establishing healthy habits, such as physical activity, a better self-concept and perception of one's own body and more eating habits healthy. It is also key cmake the patient aware that obesity is a disease, and emphasize that you should make an effort to avoid relapses. One of the most successful treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy.

Psychiatric aspects to consider

The role of the psychiatrist is also relevant in the treatment of people with obesity. Psychiatrists are in charge of deciding which patients are suitable for surgery, and which are not. Traditionally, it has been considered that patients with psychotic conditions are not suitable to undergo surgical procedures, as are those with a history of alcohol abuse or dependence or other drugs

Another group of patients who have serious difficulties in following a psychiatric treatment related to excess weight are those who have some personality disorder.

Approximately 30% of obese people who attend therapy express having bulimic impulses. In addition, 50% of patients with bulimic impulses they also have depression, unlike only 5% of patients without this type of impulse.

Treating affective disorders such as anxiety or depression in obese people is key to a good prognosis. It is the necessary basis for the patient to commit to carry out the treatment and change her lifestyle.

Concluding

Definitely, obese patients require global treatment: doctors, psychiatrists, nutritionists and psychologists must intervene to diagnose and treat each person correctly and in a personalized way. person. Although there is no broad consensus on the psychological causes of obesity, we find some commonalities in many obese patients: low self-esteem, poor self-concept, poor eating habits and comorbidity with other psychopathologies.

This should make us assess the relevance of the role of mental health professionals to improve the quality of life and the chances of recovery for these patients.

Bibliographic references:

• WHO. (2014). Descriptive note No. 311
• Banegas, J.R. (2007). The challenge of obesity for public health. I NAOS Convention. Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition. Madrid, March 27, 2007.
• Strategy, N. TO. OR. S. (2005). Strategy for nutrition, physical activity and prevention of obesity. Ministry of Health. Spanish Agency for Food Safety. Madrid.
• Stunkard, A. J. (2000). Determinants of obesity: current opinion. Obesity in poverty: a new challenge for public health, 576, 27-32.
• McRoberts, C., Burlingame, G. M., & Hoag, M. J. (1998). Comparative efficacy of individual and group psychotherapy: A meta-analytic perspective. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 2 (2), 101.