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Obesity: It's not just about the body. It's also about the soul...
How does obesity make us feel?
By CHER JACOBSEN, MD
Medical Director of the Optifit Program
By the year 2025, obesity will be the world’s biggest health problem, and the United States is unfortunately leading the way. Recent articles about obesity have detailed the physical complications and dangers of excess weight. Now is the time to address the significant emotional aspects of overweight and obesity.
The majority of American adults are overweight or obese. Being in a majority, however, does not protect the overweight American from prejudice. Obesity discrimination is as prevalent as racial discrimination in this country.
Obese people often report suffering the disapproval of friends and family, strangers, and employers. A significant portion of those surveyed even reported feeling unfairly judged by their health care providers. Studies reveal that most of the population harbors a common but incorrect assumption that obesity results from laziness, lack of willpower, or emotional problems. Such a critical environment can cause people who with their weight to feel misunderstood and rejected.
Social bias against people who struggle with obesity can take many forms. Evidence supports the assertion that people who struggle with their weight have fewer educational and job opportunities than normal weight individuals. In the workplace it is a well documented fact that overweight or obese candidates are less likely than their normal weight peers to be hired after a job interview. Again, this is due to the common misperception that an overweight person must lack discipline, self-control, or intelligence.
Overweight women suffer disproportionately more from this bias in the workplace than overweight men. Workplace discrimination is not limited to hiring practices alone. It can also extend to advancement. Despite equal or superior qualifications, overweight and obese workers are promoted less often than normal weight colleagues. In many states, this bias based on height and weight is not even illegal.
Many overweight or obese people find it difficult to engage in popular social activities. In addition to facing perceived social resentment or mockery, many activities have inherent size limitations that lead to additional discomfort. Small seats, the presence of constricting turnstiles, and unaccommodating facilities can put a damper on travel plans, recreational events, etc. Purposeful avoidance of uncomfortable social or athletic situations only serves to increase the sense of rejection felt by many obese individuals. Such feelings of isolation can, in turn, promote comfort seeking behaviors, such as over eating, binge eating, and yo-yo dieting. It is a vicious cycle that perversely promotes and maintains weight gain.
Given the extreme social and emotional consequences of obesity, the mental anguish of its sufferers can not be overstated. In a survey of obese individuals, most reported that they would rather have a disability (i.e. blindness) than obesity. Obese people surveyed also overwhelmingly would choose to be “poor and thin” rather than “rich and fat.” In a study of obesity in childhood, researchers found that the quality of life for obese children was as poor as that for children undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Clearly obesity can be a severe detriment to social satisfaction.
There is good news, however. Stress, depression, anxiety, low self esteem, and other so-called “psychosocial” factors related to obesity can be treated as part of a comprehensive weight loss program. Weight loss often results in an improvement in physical health, but there is an equally important improvement in mental health. People who succeed in losing weight (and keeping it off) have a resurgence of self worth, personal and job satisfaction, increased social and relationship success, improved activity levels, and an increased sense of wellbeing.
If you struggle with overweight or obesity you owe it to yourself to find out about comprehensive weight loss programs that can permanently improve your physical and mental health.
Dr. Jacobsen is the Medical Director for the Optifit weight loss program and is a colleague of Dr. John Pennings, founder of Surgical Bariatrics Northwest and Optifit. For more information regarding medically supervised weight loss visit www.getoptifit.com or www.sbnsurg.com.