Published in February 06, 2022 | Author Dr Bhavna Barmi
The prevalence of obesity has experienced rapid growth worldwide with rates doubling for adults and children (6-11 years) and tripling for adolescents (12-19 years) in the last 30 years. This is one of the reasons why more attention and awareness needs to be created about this health condition.
The World Health Organization has defined obesity as a disease in which there is an excessive accumulation of fat that can have adverse effects and harm health. A person is classified as obese based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is defined as the ratio of an individual’s weight to the square of that person’s height. A person with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is classified as obese.
Obesity is generally perceived to occur due to a person’s lack of motivation to eat healthy foods and lack of indulgence in any type of physical activity, but evidence has suggested that it is a chronic medical illness caused by the interaction from a wide range of factors.
Factors responsible for obesity may include behavioral, genetic, environmental, and metabolic factors. Obesity has been addressed as a complex condition with many predictors that are beyond an individual’s control by the obesity society in 2008. Some of the environmental factors that have contributed to obesity include decreased physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, increased food consumption, increased time spent watching television, use of medications with weight gain as a side effect.
However, not all people who are exposed to these environmental factors become obese, that is, there are genetic factors that predispose some people to obesity. In terms of genetic influences, a gene called the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is known to show considerable effects and appears to be modified by lifestyle practices.
There is also a role for the nervous system in response to weight gain and obesity. The hypothalamus region of the brain receives signals from the other parts that indicate the end of a meal in the short term and, in the long term, sends signals about the body’s energy reserves. These cues help determine future food intake and energy expenditure. The sympathetic nervous system that is controlled by the hypothalamus regulates energy expenditure by altering heat production in adipose tissue (tissue where all fat is deposited). Damage to the hypothalamus is therefore also linked to increased appetite and weight gain along with decreased sympathetic nervous system activity which, in turn, reduces heat production by some tissues.
Some other diseases that the person has, such as Cushing’s disease (excessive production of the hormone cortisol, which is the stress hormone) and polycystic ovary syndrome, or taking certain psychiatric medications such as antidepressants can also cause weight gain . to win.
The adoption of a western lifestyle is a very significant factor involved in weight gain where we are more involved in work that is sedentary (working on the computer in the office), using technologically advanced resources like children playing video games instead of to go out and play. and also the increased interest in eating fast food through advertisements and marketing.
Obesity increases the risk of many medical conditions and disorders, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease (CHD), gallbladder disease. Much emphasis has been placed on the physiological consequences of obesity, but not much is said about the effect it has on an individual’s mental health. Mental health can be defined as “a state of well-being in which a person is aware of their own competencies, has the ability to deal with the stressors they face in normal life, shows a productive attitude at work, and is able to to contribute to their community as a whole. Obesity impairs an individual’s normal mental state in such a way that it impairs their psychosocial functioning.
Society has set certain standards of beauty and physical appearance and we have been educated seeing this bias in our environment. A child who is different from these societal norms in terms of body weight, height, or any other characteristic is viewed from a highly discriminatory perspective. When an obese individual interacts with others, many thoughts related to this bias may arise in their mind and they may eventually begin to evaluate themselves as others see them.
They may become very critical of their weight and see themselves as lacking something that their peers or close people have. This can lead to the development of a negative body image (the individual’s evaluation of their own appearance). People who suffer from such negative beliefs and disturbances will often experience a sense of dissatisfaction with their body weight and appearance. Consequently, this can have an impact on their self-esteem, cause mental anguish such as depression, disordered eating behaviors and other psychological consequences.
An obese person may face weight-related teasing or bullying from friends, criticism from parents about excessive weight gain, and some external control beliefs (beliefs such as weight is out of a person’s control). Children who are obese may face marginalization and may be subject to harmful attitudes from their parents and peers. The child, in order to avoid such teasing, cannot participate in school-related activities and avoid interaction with children of her age.
Peer approval is a significant developmental factor and a lack of this can lead to the internalization of negative stereotypes and stigma associated with obesity. People who believe they are responsible for their obesity and think that being obese interferes with their social functioning/interaction are more likely to exhibit lower self-esteem. The emotion of shame faced is also debilitating for the obese individual. This will eventually contribute to a maladaptive cycle of isolation and inactivity and thus can transform into a lifelong pattern of social isolation and inactivity in adulthood.
Becoming a victim of constant bullying due to weight issues can lower an individual’s self-esteem along with displaying behaviors such as poor school performance and school/work absenteeism. The child would have low self-esteem and might lack the confidence to see themselves in a positive light. They may also face rejection in terms of their romantic relationships, which can further affect their self-esteem. Eisenberg et al. (2003) have found that adolescents who reported weight-related teasing by family and peers reported significantly lower self-esteem scores.
Many psychiatric disorders can also coexist with obesity, such as depression and eating disorders. Obesity, by subjecting people to marginalization, can make them feel lonely and experience bouts of moodiness, making them vulnerable to a negative outlook on the world around them.
Research has indicated that disordered eating is more common among obese women than men. People who suffer from binge eating disorder are more at risk of becoming obese and binge eating disorder can also occur as a result of coping with the physical disease of obesity. Because these people are dissatisfied with their bodies, they may engage in dieting behaviors, and when they are unable to follow a healthy routine, they may become even more stressed and eat more fatty foods.
The influence that obesity has on mental health needs to be addressed now and interventions of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, counseling for parents of obese people and organization of mental health and obesity awareness campaigns could be really effective.
CBT would focus on the cognitions, emotions, and behaviors related to body dissatisfaction. This would not only improve the self-esteem of the individual, but also help reduce overeating. The objective of this therapy is to give the thought process a direction such that the individual evaluates his self-esteem and his relationship with food in a positive way.
CBT treatment includes self-management techniques, challenging automatic thoughts and beliefs, correcting distorted thinking, and relaxation techniques. In this way, mindfulness meditation attempts to replace negative thought patterns and imagery with self-acceptance and a nonjudgmental attitude.
Mindfulness can help reestablish a schema, core beliefs, behaviors that maintain body dissatisfaction, and develop a sense of self-compassion. Parents from childhood should try to make children eat all kinds of vegetables and not label any kind of food as bad or good. They should focus on giving their children home-cooked meals. Parents of obese children should be more sensitive to them and not use harsh words about their child’s body weight while interacting with them.
At present, the media has become a very essential part of our life that puts a lot of emphasis on body ideals. Obese people when compared to these standards can affect their mental health to a significant degree. Therefore, the need for a more empathetic society is the need of the moment.
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