Weight Loss and Psychology Theory

June 26, 2009

According to this theory, obesity and overweight are byproducts of psychological problems or of conditioning.

Many children eat and overeat in effort to win their parents approval, or in some cases, to avoid punishment. Some well-meaning parents still believe that a fat child is a healthy. Also, some parents give cookies or candy as a reward for good behavior or to distract them from crying after a fall.

Theory

A child’s first exposure to overeating often occurs very early in life. Baby’s tears are often misinterpreted for hunger. Unfortunately, many adults thrust a bottle in the mouth of a crying infant instead of considering whether the need may be for cuddling, comfort, or a diaper change. Therefore, it’s only natural that the child learns to link emotional and physical needs with eating. If food is used to placate needs other than hunger, a child may be conditioned to want food even when not hungry.

Another aspect of the Psychological Theory focuses on the role of tension and frustration in overeating. Stress situations (death of a parent, loss of a job, etc.) can cause you to eat nervously if you were so conditioned in childhood, and also to refrain from physical activity. In fact, you may want to sleep more, or you may become depressed and just want to sit. The most interesting aspect of the Psychological Theory is the observation that obese and overweight people tend to become less active. This compounds the problem that situations that cause overeating also lead to decreased physical activity.

A person who experiences periods of intense depression may also undergo a significant change in carbohydrate metabolism. Obesity and overweight contribute to inactivity and inactivity begets weight gain. It is indeed a vicious circle. In many instances, obesity and overweight result from a combination of causes. What you must remember is that physical activity is the most reliable way to control weight.

A good way to change these conditioned responses that cause you to overeat is to document the feelings, attitudes and cravings you have throughout the day. For example: “I had an argument with my coworker right after lunch. I got an overwhelming urge to eat and searched through the refrigerator in the lunch room for a snack.” – In this situation, she had been conditioned to eat after an uncomfortable confrontation - an emotional response that triggered her appetite.

If you document the times you eat (what you were doing, who you were with) – eventually you will identify the emotions that trigger these conditioned responses so you can consciously recondition your eating behaviors. Sometimes the cause of depression is so deeply rooted you may need to seek professional guidance to help you get to the root of the problem causing the food addiction or overeating impulse.

If you are obese or very much overweight, your goal in walking should be to walk as far as you can. Don’t worry about speed; distance is far more important.