Excess weight from the point of view of psychology

Today, the problem of excess weight is of interest to many people. As a rule, people use all kinds of techniques and diets to lose weight. Some are lucky, but most of the time, the weight gains back. The fact is that often ways to get rid of excess weight do not eliminate the reasons for its gain. This is the explanation for the temporary results.

First, let's understand what the excess weight. In medical sources, this problem is called obesity. So, overweight - is a chronic, progressive metabolic disease, with an increase in body weight (due to adipose tissue), prone to relapse and having a psychosomatic character.

The word "chronic" means that a person who has lost weight still needs to monitor him. Propensity to relapse - this means that, having formed even the most persistent new eating habits, overweight people neglect them. The word "psychosomatic" reveals causal relationships. Psycho means soul. Soma is the body. We get a disease of the body from the "head" as a result of long-term emotional experiences.

Causes of excess weight:

1. Physiological prerequisites for excess weight.

From a physiological point of view, being overweight is a store of energy. If your body gets more energy from food and drink than it needs, excess weight appears. Accordingly, when you consume less, the body is forced to compensate for the deficiency by taking energy from fat - now you are losing weight.
Secondary obesity, developing against the background of other complex diseases.

2. Psychological prerequisites for being overweight. 

The relationship between food and mood. People who are overweight often have a strong relationship between food and mood. Why is this happening? The abundance of delicious food evokes associations of a holiday, fun company, meeting with friends, etc. Food is just a stimulus, a trigger to these memories and impressions. The stimulus leading to excess weight. After all, no one bothers you to replace it with another. You can create other stimuli for your joy.

Evening, night food and excess weight. Many studies have shown that overweight people suffer from heavy evening and nighttime meals, and find the only reason for this behavior is stress relief. Excess food acts as a way to put off household chores, worrying thoughts, conflict situations, etc. This is a peculiar way of rest, on the one hand, and avoiding problems, on the other. As a result, rest with food is an incomplete rest, and avoiding problems is not their solution. Plus, extra weight is added to this.

Trying to get love, care and safety through food. This complex mental mechanism is revealed through understanding the development of the human psyche. In early childhood (up to 1 year), feeding for a child is not just an act of eating food, it is also an emotional experience of the mother's care and love. If in the future more mature protective mechanisms are not formed that will help to experience stress, the child returns to this again and again. In adulthood, situations that cause discomfort only change, but the reaction remains the same - to eat.

Depressive mood and excess weight. According to recent studies, about 70% of overweight people have latent forms of mild depression. Moreover, overeating is caused both by a low background of mood, and vice versa - with a set of kilograms and a decrease in activity, slight depression appears. Both options are unfavorable, since food begins to replace habitual pleasures, and excess weight grows faster.

3. Social prerequisites for being overweight.

The habit of extinguishing your stress and desires with food. Overweight people often develop this habit since childhood. When stingy in manifestations of love and overprotective parents convey love and attention to the child through food. A child who has mastered this way of showing sympathy for himself and replacing real needs with food continues to use this in adulthood. This behavior inevitably leads to excess weight. 

Tip: Set your own time, 1 hour a day. Plan what you will do in your spare time each morning. It should be an activity that you enjoy. You can also plan a weekend. This should be done for at least 2-3 months.