Obesity is one of the biggest problems affecting millions of people worldwide. This can lead to a life-threatening situation and also give rise to other health complications like hypertension, heart-attack and stroke. Many people perceive obesity to be a physical problem. But obesity is also a psychological problem. People suffering from obesity need psychological help apart from other forms of treatment.
The most common cause for obesity is binge-eating. People who are on a binge-eating spree are also affected by mood swings, depression and personality disorders. Lately, treatments for obesity are focusing more on treating the physical condition along with the psychological condition.
Psychological Treatment
Psychological treatment for obesity addresses the primary factors that cause binge-eating. The first step in this treatment is to understand why a person feels the urge to binge on food? What are the reasons behind it?
Research shows that people with low self-esteem, depression and no social interaction take to binge-eating. Binge-eating helps them forget about all the problems. This gradually becomes a habit and the person starts craving for food whenever faced with a problem. This turns into an addiction and the person has no control over the food intake. It is very similar to nicotine and alcohol addiction from a psychological point of view.
- Most cases of binge-eating are due to the eating habits acquired in the childhood. It is not easy to let go of any habit. Psychological treatment helps a person overcome these habits which lead to obesity.
- Cognitive behavioral treatment addresses a person’s thoughts about self-image, eating and behavior.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy helps a person to face and heal problems faced in a relationship.
- Psychological treatment has proved successful in reducing weight and has also helped patients overcome other problems.
Though most medical professionals disagree on the effectiveness of psychological treatment to cure obesity, it has been observed that psychological treatment combined with other forms of treatment is very effective in treating obesity. Psychological treatment for obesity aims to make people feel better about themselves and lose weight too.
Can Counselling Treat Obesity?
Depression is common among people suffering from Obesity. Since Obesity is a physical disorder, people can easily see changes. But depression is a mental disorder whose symptoms remain subjective. People suffering from depression due to obesity do not accept the fact that they need medical attention. In this way, the severity of the problem increases. The aim of counselling to treat obesity should be to convince the individual that it is in the hand of the individual to fight with obesity.
It is essential that the counsellor initially wins trust of the individual. It is possible then to come closer to the depressed person and involve them into the treatment process. The counsellor should discuss the reasons of obesity with empathy and honesty. Slowly, there will be positive changes as the patient tries to face the reality. Then as hope arises in his mind, the counsellor should provide the patient with choices. Though it is a time consuming technique, the method is free from any harmful side effects at least
