The psychological consequences of obesity: depression, low self-esteem ...
Both overweight and obesity itself is one of the most common problems not only in women and men, but also in the youngest, with childhood obesity itself being one of the most worrisome disorders for many doctors and health authorities.
It is known, as a great variety of studies have shown, that obesity can lead to low self-esteem, mainly because certain people who are overweight or obese do not feel completely safe and comfortable with their bodies.
As we know, self-esteem is a practically fundamental concept when it comes to enjoying a full life and, above all, happy, given that it is related to what we think about ourselves, and what people ultimately think about our own person.
But sometimes, that low self-esteem can go something further, and even cause a more serious problem soon. It is when the depression associated with obesity appears. In this sense, there is no doubt that psychologists will be of great help.
And is that, as you can imagine, obesity presents serious consequences in our health, since it tends to increase the risk of heart problems (heart attacks and angina), high blood pressure, cholesterol and high triglycerides, and present a higher risk of suffering much more serious diseases, such as diabetes. or cancer.
Its consequences tend to be psychological too, directly related to low self-esteem and the complex feelings that people with excess weight usually have in a very habitual way.
To this is added, for example, the constancy that involves following a diet of weight loss with the aim of reducing weight, since it must be linked to the practice of regular physical exercise and a change in lifestyle. All of this tends to directly influence many people to stop weight loss regimens, with the consequent weight gain that is known as rebound effect.
The main psychological consequences of overweight and obesity
Unfortunately it tends to be quite common that people who are overweight, especially if they are obese, often receive criticism, negative comments and jokes in very bad taste. Obviously, all these situations and experiences are undermining the self-esteem of the person.
It's more, Did you know that low self-esteem is directly associated with greater weight gain? In fact, many specialists agree that, in general, people with obesity tend to have a more dependent personality, which means that we find ourselves in a circle with no way out.
These emotional problems are even more serious when obesity begins from childhood, since that excess weight can influence in a tremendously negative way in the body image that the child or adolescent has on himself, causing behaviors of social avoidance, low self-esteem and a low quality of life, directly related to the child's level of life satisfaction.
Treatment of depression associated with obesity
When a psychologist specialist is faced with a case of depression related to obesity itself, in the first place it must deal with techniques and tricks that help the person to increase their own self-esteem.
The patient must accept himself as he is, trying to be comfortable with himself and to love himself internally, so that later he can be accepted by others. In these cases, your family, partner and close friends can be of great help, especially if they have the indication of the psychologist to be a direct support of the patient.
If you feel that you suffer from depression, and that it is directly or indirectly associated with the excess weight you may have, one of the best recommendations we could give you is that you go to the consultation of a specialist in the field.
It will help you to solve the depression and to raise your self-esteem, at the same time it will give you advice to accept you as you are. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Psychologist. We advise you to consult your trusted Psychologist. ThemesObesity
