The "psychology" of obesity?

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

Oh, I'm exaggerating, but only a little.

 

Oh, :lol: Thanks.

[Julie Smith]

Yes, it is very common. As others on this thread have pointed out, that does not mean that EVERY overweight person has that history, but, yes, many have.

 

This is also something I have heard, and the overweight woman I know all have that history. That doesn't mean every overweight person has a history of sexual abuse, or that non-overweight people don't.

[Joanne]

Personally, I m not impressed with the SA theory. The percentage of women are are abused is insane and sick. Therefore the percentage of people who were victims and who are overweight also is sick and insane.

 

I think the epidemic of obesity is mostly PHYSIOlogical. I am talking myself out of clients by saying that, so it is NOT my preference.

 

I do not observe a pattern over overeat/inactive vs. Fit eating/fit lifestyle. Every person I know is too complex to fit that.

 

And I think that a LOT of confirmation bias happens. We notice when a skinny person eats little and a fat person eats junk.

[LibraryLover]

I like to post this whenever I can:

 

http://uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717

 

Our food is different. Well, that and we're not out on the prarie or tundra in survival mode.

[busymama7]

This has been an interesting and timely thread. The NYT article depressed me to no end:crying:

 

I have had 8 babies in 13 years. My youngest is almost 2. I have always been a bit overweight, maybe 15 lbs before I started having kids. I am one that gains weight while nursing and since I have only been not either nursing, pregnant or both for less than 4 months in 16 years, well... the weight came on but never came off.:tongue_smilie: I acutally lose while pregnant. Once I gained 7 lbs the whole pregancy, the baby weighed 9 and I was 20 or so lbs below prepregnancy by 2 weeks. By 2 months I had gained that plus more back:crying: and my weight creeps up the whole time I am nursing. If I wean my littlest this spring and I am not pregnant, I am interested to see what will happen.

 

Tha majority of it came on in the couple years following a full term stillbirth. I know some of my issue IS pyschological and that is why I was reading this thread. I keep hoping I will figure it out and be able to get rid of the weight and keep it off. The article depressed me because I am a busy homeschool mom of a large family, in addition to other things, and the thought of having to focus that much on keeping weight off really make me not even want to try. I cant seem to find a regular time to excercise and I certainly dont have an hour or more a day. Or I should say, Im not willing to give up other things in my life to make that happen.

 

I also have to cook, mostly from scratch, for 9 people, 3 meals a day. We do not do processed foods, except occasionally. I am in the kitchen pretty much all day. Each time I have tried certain diets, like low-carb or whatever, I find it extremly hard to maintain long term while cooking for growing kids who are never full.

 

Sigh. I wish this wasnt so hard.

 

I have to say that those of you who have never been overweight really do not get it and it is pretty offensive to act as if you do.

[justamouse]

I am taking refresher classes for crisis counseling and I learned now that many obese people were se**ally abused and as a result have packed on pounds to make themselves physically less attractive.

This was a "whoa" concept to me. Have any of you who are working in the field of psychology any experience with this?

 

I know he's scorned, Tuesday Dr Oz had on very obese women, with a psychologist, and he ( the psych) said the same thing. He also talked to a few others about their parents leaving them and how as small children they would have internalized that.

 

Today he had on the Petite book author.

Edited February 9, 2012 by justamouse

[justamouse]

Also, for those that assume I've never been fat, at one point I topped out at 192. On my frame, that was horrible. And it wasn't while I was preggo with the twins.;) it was after, though.

[beaners]

I have so much I want to say but I'm positive that it won't come across as I intend it. So I'll just say this.

 

Needing to run 10 miles doesn't have to be a punishment. It's a wonderful way to rejoice in the fact that you have been blessed with a working body. :001_smile:

[Lolly]

I can't tell . . . serious or joking? That sounds insane and extremely unhealthy, at any age.

 

Exactly why I will not do it. It is NOT healthy.

[usetoschool]

This has been an interesting and timely thread. The NYT article depressed me to no end:crying:

 

I have had 8 babies in 13 years. My youngest is almost 2. I have always been a bit overweight, maybe 15 lbs before I started having kids. I am one that gains weight while nursing and since I have only been not either nursing, pregnant or both for less than 4 months in 16 years, well... the weight came on but never came off.:tongue_smilie: I acutally lose while pregnant. Once I gained 7 lbs the whole pregancy, the baby weighed 9 and I was 20 or so lbs below prepregnancy by 2 weeks. By 2 months I had gained that plus more back:crying: and my weight creeps up the whole time I am nursing. If I wean my littlest this spring and I am not pregnant, I am interested to see what will happen.

 

Tha majority of it came on in the couple years following a full term stillbirth. I know some of my issue IS pyschological and that is why I was reading this thread. I keep hoping I will figure it out and be able to get rid of the weight and keep it off. The article depressed me because I am a busy homeschool mom of a large family, in addition to other things, and the thought of having to focus that much on keeping weight off really make me not even want to try. I cant seem to find a regular time to excercise and I certainly dont have an hour or more a day. Or I should say, Im not willing to give up other things in my life to make that happen.

 

I also have to cook, mostly from scratch, for 9 people, 3 meals a day. We do not do processed foods, except occasionally. I am in the kitchen pretty much all day. Each time I have tried certain diets, like low-carb or whatever, I find it extremly hard to maintain long term while cooking for growing kids who are never full.

 

Sigh. I wish this wasnt so hard.

 

I have to say that those of you who have never been overweight really do not get it and it is pretty offensive to act as if you do.

 

:grouphug:

[busymama7]

:grouphug:

 

 

Thanks:)

[GingerPoppy]

1) How does one allow the first 10 pounds to stay on?

 

Well, maybe because someone enjoys eating without counting calories, tracking fat grams or carb grams, or any other food-related busywork that was never really meant to be necessary. Maybe some people would rather eat in peace then worry about 10 measly pounds. Seriously, some people have different priorities than others. Don't get me wrong--I think health in general is an excellent priority to have, but I don't think that automatically translates into "I cannot ever gain 10 pounds." To some of us, 10 pounds is a trifle that simply doesn't affect our lives in any appreciable way even if it might affect yours.

 

2) If it is true that a woman over 50 would have to starve herself on 500 (or even 1000) calories a day, then count me out. Forget it. See? Priorities. For me, eating a reasonable amount of healthy and delicious food, both as sustenance and as a social activity, is far more important to me that being skinny past the age of 50. FAR more. I guess we're all different.

[Ibbygirl]

Okay who put the "sweatin' to the oldies" tag? :tongue_smilie: Please, oh please, oh please don't bring Richard Simmons into this discussion. I beg you! :p :D hehe

[kitten18]

Honestly, the holier-than-thou attitude of a couple of posters in this thread makes me want to go eat a cookie!

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Joanne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenny in Florida

Honestly, the holier-than-thou attitude of a couple of posters in this thread makes me want to go eat a cookie!

 

I don't know why you feel that way. When I participate in a thread, I feel zen, and when my zen is ever-so-delicately shifted, I focus on my breathing.

 

If my zen gets even a bit uncomfortable, I buckle down and meditate more, and harder. I don't understand how someone could be comfortable with the first non-zen moments, let alone the interminable ones.

 

I don't buy the addiction to threads malarky. Everyone here must participate in threads to get progressive hive names. It's a must. It can't be an addiction.

 

Now, when I had multiple forums, closely spaced, my zen was slightly challenged, but I can back on course with essential oils, chiropractic, and new office supplies.

 

Now, hand over that cookie. I mean it.

[cindergretta]

I don't know why you feel that way. When I participate in a thread, I feel zen, and when my zen is ever-so-delicately shifted, I focus on my breathing.

 

If my zen gets even a bit uncomfortable, I buckle down and meditate more, and harder. I don't understand how someone could be comfortable with the first non-zen moments, let alone the interminable ones.

 

I don't buy the addiction to threads malarky. Everyone here must participate in threads to get progressive hive names. It's a must. It can't be an addiction.

 

Now, when I had multiple forums, closely spaced, my zen was slightly challenged, but I can back on course with essential oils, chiropractic, and new office supplies.

 

Now, hand over that cookie. I mean it.

 

:lol: Truly awesome, inspired really!

[barbarajon]

At times there are some psychological reasons for obesity, may be people eat to cope stress and some have obsession for food, they would eat each and everything that’s on the table.

[Hannah]

I don't know why you feel that way. When I participate in a thread, I feel zen, and when my zen is ever-so-delicately shifted, I focus on my breathing.

 

If my zen gets even a bit uncomfortable, I buckle down and meditate more, and harder. I don't understand how someone could be comfortable with the first non-zen moments, let alone the interminable ones.

 

I don't buy the addiction to threads malarky. Everyone here must participate in threads to get progressive hive names. It's a must. It can't be an addiction.

 

Now, when I had multiple forums, closely spaced, my zen was slightly challenged, but I can back on course with essential oils, chiropractic, and new office supplies.

 

Now, hand over that cookie. I mean it.

 

:lol::lol::lol: Brilliant!

[Ibbygirl]

I don't know why you feel that way. When I participate in a thread, I feel zen, and when my zen is ever-so-delicately shifted, I focus on my breathing.

 

If my zen gets even a bit uncomfortable, I buckle down and meditate more, and harder. I don't understand how someone could be comfortable with the first non-zen moments, let alone the interminable ones.

 

I don't buy the addiction to threads malarky. Everyone here must participate in threads to get progressive hive names. It's a must. It can't be an addiction.

 

Now, when I had multiple forums, closely spaced, my zen was slightly challenged, but I can back on course with essential oils, chiropractic, and new office supplies.

 

Now, hand over that cookie. I mean it.

:lol::lol::lol: Awesome! heheheheh :D

[Laura Corin]

I read the article. I am ready to believe that there is a genetic component, but that does NOT explain the rise in obesity rates over the last thirty years. The genes have not changed. The only thing that has changed is lifestyle.

 

Having seen how people lived in China in 1985-1986 (high exercise, low protein, high carbohydrate diet, almost no packaged goods, no obese people) and in 2004-2008 (more cars, more money for bus-fares, much more meat, still not many packaged goods, increasing numbers of overweight and some obese people) I find it hard not to see a simple link.

 

I do understand that once someone is obese it is harder to lose weight due to the difficulty of exercising and possible other changes, but the OP was originally talking about a young person putting on a lot of weight, not someone who is long-term obese. I also understand that eating is much more than fuel - the relationship is emotional, from the breast onwards, so I am in no way saying that it's easy to maintain or lose weight, nor are there universal prescriptions. I can only report that live-experiment in diet and exercise that I witnessed in China.

 

Personal disclosure: I've been plump for years (BMI normal), messed up my relationship with food by doing Atkins, and have now settled into the NoS way of eating, also known as 'eating like grandmother used to'. I have some treats at weekends, but otherwise I don't eat sweet things, snacks or seconds. I lose weight very slowly but steadily in a sustainable way: about five pounds since November.

 

Laura

Edited February 9, 2012 by Laura Corin
Clarity - first sentence only edited

[MBM]

I like to post this whenever I can:

 

http://uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717

 

Our food is different. Well, that and we're not out on the prarie or tundra in survival mode.

 

:iagree:

 

Watching this would be 90" well-spent.

Dr. Lustig, a professor of pediatrics who studies childhood obesity, discusses how various sugars metabolize in our body and how certain ones, fructose in particular, lead to health problems. About an hour in, he discusses the biochemisty. Toward the end he talks about the four points that he has his obese patients follow. Lustig is no dummy in this area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H._Lustig

http://chc.ucsf.edu/coast/faculty_lustig.htm

[justamouse]

:iagree:

 

Watching this would be 90" well-spent.

 

Dr. Lustig, a professor of pediatrics who studies childhood obesity, discusses how various sugars metabolize in our body and how certain ones, fructose in particular, lead to health problems. About an hour in, he discusses the biochemisty. Toward the end he talks about the four points that he has his obese patients follow. Lustig is no dummy in this area.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H._Lustig

http://chc.ucsf.edu/coast/faculty_lustig.htm

 

thanks for those links! I loved the vid Library Lover (Bill posted on the sugar thread (Sugar: the bitter truth)) -Lustig is pretty awesome.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Having lived in China in 1985-1986 (high exercise, low protein, high carbohydrate diet, almost no packaged goods, no obese people) and in 2004-2008 (more cars, more money for bus-fares, much more meat, still not many packaged goods, increasing numbers of overweight and some obese people) I find it hard not to see a simple link.

 

I do understand that once someone is obese it is harder to lose weight due to the difficulty of exercising and possible other changes, but the OP was originally talking about a young person putting on a lot of weight, not someone who is long-term obese. I also understand that eating is much more than fuel - the relationship is emotional, from the breast onwards, so I am in no way saying that it's easy to maintain or lose weight, nor are there universal prescriptions. I can only report that live-experiment in diet and exercise that I witnessed in China.

 

Personal disclosure: I've been plump for years (BMI normal), messed up my relationship with food by doing Atkins, and have now settled into the NoS way of eating, also known as 'eating like grandmother used to'. I have some treats at weekends, but otherwise I don't eat sweet things, snacks or seconds. I lose weight very slowly but steadily in a sustainable way: about five pounds since November.

 

Laura

 

Nobody is saying that exercise and eating correctly isn't important or necessary to losing weight. But it isn't that simple either. Some people can only lose weight the low carb way. Others do badly on it. It matters what your body chemistry is. And it matters what the ratios of calories to exercise are. I recently only started to lose weight again when I started to eat MORE. And yes, I was very grateful to those well-informed people who were able to see that my body was going into starvation mode and needed the extra calories to balance out the amount of exercise I'm doing. Overly simplistic advice would have made it worse for me.

[Cassy]

Nobody is saying that exercise and eating correctly isn't important or necessary to losing weight. But it isn't that simple either. Some people can only lose weight the low carb way. Others do badly on it. It matters what your body chemistry is. And it matters what the ratios of calories to exercise are. I recently only started to lose weight again when I started to eat MORE. And yes, I was very grateful to those well-informed people who were able to see that my body was going into starvation mode and needed the extra calories to balance out the amount of exercise I'm doing. Overly simplistic advice would have made it worse for me.

 

Laura did make it clear that she knows "it isn't that simple" in individual cases. I do think her observations on the influence of culture on the percentage of overweight or obese in a particular society are very valid.

 

Cassy

[Jean in Newcastle]

Laura did make it clear that she knows "it isn't that simple" in individual cases. I do think her observations on the influence of culture on the percentage of overweight or obese in a particular society are very valid.

 

Cassy

 

Sure. There's been a shift in American culture too from an Agrarian society which needed big meals for fuel to a much more sedentary one. Then more recently there's been a switch from whole foods to processed ones. So people are trying to make a switch back to whole foods and a less sedentary lifestyle.

[laughing lioness]

The health of our food supply also plays a huge part in our health.

 

I also think that immunizations, gmo's, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, fertilizer and our affected water supply change affect the health and welfare of consumers, including weight gain or loss.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The health of our food supply also plays a huge part in our health.

 

I also think that immunizations, gmo's, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, fertilizer and our affected water supply change affect the health and welfare of consumers, including weight gain or loss.

 

:iagree:

[lilacii]

(I have not read the previous list of replies)...

 

I was an extremely obese child.

I grew up in a household with average sized folks, but I was obese. The foods eaten, although not extremely unhealthy, were unhealthy enough for my body. Let me say, we never had soda, chips, candy, or sweets around unless there was a party or such. Even "real" foods can be addicting and cause obesity.

As a young adult, I became extremely cautious concerning diet and food intake. I lost the excess weight. Now I am a healthy weight and size. However, what I would like to highlight is the fact that there is a "pschology" of obesity, esp. if it affects one as a child. It colors the way you see the world. It colors the way "the world" sees you, also.

[Susan in TN]

Sure. There's been a shift in American culture too from an Agrarian society which needed big meals for fuel to a much more sedentary one. Then more recently there's been a switch from whole foods to processed ones. So people are trying to make a switch back to whole foods and a less sedentary lifestyle.

 

The health of our food supply also plays a huge part in our health.

 

I also think that immunizations, gmo's, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, fertilizer and our affected water supply change affect the health and welfare of consumers, including weight gain or loss.

 

:iagree:

 

I found it interesting that on Zillow, homes are given a rating to tell how "car dependent" they are. Public transportation may be the main factor, but I still found that interesting.

[NASDAQ]

The health of our food supply also plays a huge part in our health.

 

I also think that immunizations, gmo's, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, fertilizer and our affected water supply change affect the health and welfare of consumers, including weight gain or loss.

 

This is definitely true. Without GMOs, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, and fertilizer, we'd have a lot less food and we'd all be a lot thinner. Without chlorine and fluoride in our water supply, some of us would be a _lot_ thinner.

 

Thank you, Norman Bourlag!

[Jana]

I would like to add to this conversation that size is only one factor in a person's overall health. If you haven't read the book, Big Fat Lies, may I suggest that you do?

 

Most studies that look at obesity, fail to isolate for fitness and nutrition. When researchers have isolated for those variables, it turns out, that a heavier person who is active and eats well, does better over the long run than their thinner counter parts.

 

Gaesser also examines the (flawed) methodology used to calculate the BMI index. His book is an illuminating read and puts the focus where (I think) it belongs: on health and not size.

[laughing lioness]

This is definitely true. Without GMOs, hormones in animals, chemical spraying, and fertilizer, we'd have a lot less food and we'd all be a lot thinner. Without chlorine and fluoride in our water supply, some of us would be a _lot_ thinner.

 

Thank you, Norman Bourlag!

 

My point is simply that we infuse our food supply with growth hormones (bigger, better crops), we ingest those growth hormones as we consume our food supply, we as consumers grow.

This is ridiculously simplified, obviously. I think, however, that there could be a correlation.