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Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsAge Amplifies Damage From Obesity, Study Finds'Eating More Protein' Strategy Helps Women Lose WeightMoney Motivates Weight Loss -- One Step at a TimePhysicians Less Empathetic in Talking to Heavy PatientsWeight-Loss Surgery May Affect Fat-Related GenesHealth Tip: Keep Food Cravings at Bay at the OfficeProcedure Lowers 'Hunger Hormone' to Help Obese Lose WeightCash Incentives, Penalties May Spur People to Shed More PoundsExercise May Stave Off Depression in Severely ObeseStudy Shows Weight-Loss Myths AboundFewer U.S. Patients Getting Weight Counseling From DoctorsLifestyle Changes Key to Weight Loss in New YearYour New Weight-Loss Resolution: Drive LessHealth Tip: Think Before You EatYo-Yo Dieting Can Hurt the Heart, Study FindsThinking You Ate a Lot May Help You Feel FullLosing Weight May Improve Sleep QualityHealth Tip: Talking to Your Doctor About WeightLosing Weight May Lower Cardiac RisksLearning How to Keep Pounds Off Before Dieting May Work BestEffects of Bariatric Surgery on Heart Function, Structure ID'dObesity Surgery Seems to Reduce Heart Risks, Study SaysReport: 39 States on Pace for Obesity Rates Above 50%4 Eating Habits May Help Older Women Maintain Weight LossDeep Brain Stimulation Could Treat ObesityModern Technology Adds to Worldwide Obesity Woes: ReportMany Obese Americans Struggle With Stigma, Discrimination, Poll FindsDoes Just Feeling Fat Make You Gain Weight?Fat Stats: 30% of Adults in 12 States Now ObeseIn Short Term, Weight-Loss Surgery Doesn't Raise Fracture RiskHealth Tip: Maintain Your Ideal WeightHealth Tip: Quench Your Thirst Without Extra CaloriesMany Americans in Denial Over Weight Gain: StudyExperimental Drug Suppresses Appetite in Mice: StudyWeight-Loss Surgery May Not Cut Medical Costs: StudyWeight-Loss Keys: Food Journals, Eating In, Not Skipping Meals'Beige' Fat Joins Brown Fat as Potential Weight-Loss TargetBehavioral Weight Loss Has Long-Term Benefit for TeensWeight Loss May Increase Testosterone LevelsHormone 'Ratio' May Show Which Dieters Will Keep Weight OffWeight-Loss Surgery Cuts Heart Risk 7 Years Later: StudyDoes Weight-Loss Surgery Work for Teens? Yes, Study SaysOnce-Obese Women Still Face Stigma, Study FindsObesity News Feeds Questions and AnswersLinksBook Reviews |
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Psychological Consequences Of Being OverweightHarry Mills, Ph.D.Psychological consequences of being overweight or obese can include lowered self-esteem and anxiety, and more serious disorders such as depression and eating disorders such as binge eating, bulimia and anorexia. The reasons for why this is so aren't hard to fathom. Modern culture is singular in the way that it worships youthful slim, toned bodies. With rare exceptions, only thin, proportional bodies are considered sexy. Obese or overweight people are looked down upon. It's easy to feel bad about one's self, to become depressed or anxious or to to develop obsessions around eating control when one's culture makes it clear that the way one appears is wholly undesirable.
One doesn't have to be overweight to get into psychological trouble with eating, either. Eating is pleasurable, and because this is true, all manner of people (fat and thin both) end up using eating as a ready source of emotional comfort when they are feeling stressed out. It comes as no surprise that such stress-induced eating leads to weight gain, which in turn leads many people (especially women) to feel still worse about themselves, motivating still more stress-based eating and additional weight gain. All too often, stress-based comfort eating becomes a vicious cycle and downward spiral.
Loss Of Energy and Joy For Life
If the negative health and shame aspects of being overweight aren't enough, overweight people also tend to have less energy than their normal weight peers. Because it takes them more effort than their peers to be active, they tend to gravitate towards low-activity lifestyles and become sedentary. An unfortunate circle develops wherein the less active people become the greater their risk of gaining still more weight, and the more weight people gain, the less likely they are to become more active. Life stresses seem more overwhelming as exercise (which could begin the process of reversing this downward spiral of decreasing energy levels) is avoided and a major opportunity for the reduction of muscle tension, stress and anxiety is lost. Over time, even ordinary tasks of daily life like going up a flight of stairs can lead to exhaustion and a sense of premature aging.
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