Psychosocial effects of obesity
Obesity is a life-long problem with numerous weight-related complications. In addition to negative physical effects, obesity can have detrimental psychological, and social effects on the concerned individual. The psychological effects on patients with obesity are a direct result of societal pressures, biases, and prejudices against people with obesity.
Furthermore, comorbidities linked to obesity also come with a significant psychosocial burden, impacting numerous areas of psychosocial functioning. The effects of obesity include issues related to mood, self-esteem, quality of life, and body image.
Effects of Obesity
Mood Disorders from Obesity
According to research, 20% to 60% of people with obesity suffer from a psychiatric illness. People with obesity are five times more likely to have experienced an episode of major depression. This is more common in women than men probably as a result of the expectations and emphasis on thinness as a characteristic of optimal female beauty.
Eating Disorders in Obese Individuals
Disordered eating is common among people with obesity. According to research, the most common struggles are emotional eating: having trouble controlling the frequency of eating, and portion sizes. And the most common eating disorder, according to studies, is binge-eating. Binge-eating is characterized by the consumption of a large portion of food in less than 2 hours.
Anxiety Disorders from Obesity
The most common anxiety disorder found in 9% of candidates for bariatric surgery is a social anxiety disorder. This causes extreme fear in social settings and results in trouble talking to people, meeting new people, and attending social gatherings. The anxiety stems from the fear of being judged or scrutinized by others.
Low Self-Esteem
Obesity can impact an individual’s self-esteem; leading to devalue of one’s talents and abilities because they struggle with weight.
Poor Quality of Life
Obesity also negatively impacts health-related quality of life. According to studies, individuals that suffer from obesity often report difficulties with physical and occupational functioning.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
Body Image Issues
Body image is defined as an individual’s subjective evaluation of his/her appearance.
Unhealthy eating orders such as dieting, skipping meals, fasting, self-induced vomiting, and using diet pills or laxatives are often linked with dissatisfaction with one’s body.
Body image issues also lead to mental health problems such as depression and low self esteem.
Over-simplifying the causes of obesity and implying that eating less or being more active will lead to quick and sustainable results contributes to weight bias and can set unrealistic expectations. This often focuses on individual behaviors and perceived failures, while neglecting to take into consideration important social and environmental factors beyond lifestyle choices that contribute to obesity.
How can bariatric surgery help?
The most common mental health conditions found are depression and binge eating disorder among patients seeking and undergoing bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery is a clinical and cost-effective treatment for people who suffer from obesity and related diseases. Due to the significant improvement in physical aspects, the impact of bariatric surgery on psychological health is often overshadowed. Several studies have found that patients who undergo bariatric surgery:
- Have a significant reduction in depression and anxiety levels
- Feel better about how they look. A study found 70% of patients had severe body image problems before surgery. Whereas, only 4% did following surgery and weight loss.
- Experience an overall improvement in depressive symptoms, eating behavior, body image, self-esteem & self-image.
- Experience a decrease in the severity of the symptoms of depression.
- Get better treatment in both their professional and social circles.
- Have an increased self-confidence.
- Can build stronger relationships and enhance the relationships they have.
- Experience positive changes in mental health, quality of life, and social functioning.
A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of obesity that addresses psychological and social factors is critical to ensure comprehensive care, as well as best practices and outcomes.
At Doctor Obesity Clinic, our highly qualified team of dieticians, psychologists, bariatric surgeons, and anesthetists take into consideration all the factors that contributed to your condition and address them accordingly. We believe that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. We ensure that all our patients are given the individual care they require in order to achieve long-term health and weight-loss.
