Psychological Causes of Obesity: How Emotions, Stress, and Anxiety Make You "Eat More and Get Fatter"

You might be an expert at troubleshooting phone malfunctions and adept at fixing computer problems, but you might not be entirely clear about why you've become obese. Have you noticed that as your waistline bulges, so does the excess fat on your body? Have you realized that as you age, your figure is becoming increasingly bloated? Have you noticed that your weight fluctuates with the seasons...?

Faced with the various causes of obesity, you may not be able to identify your own situation. But don't be discouraged, this chapter will analyze the various causes of obesity in detail. By reading this chapter, you will find the root cause of your obesity and thus be able to take targeted preventive and treatment measures.

**Overview of the Causes of Obesity**

Obesity has many causes, and its mechanisms are quite complex. However, one thing is undeniable: obesity results from energy intake exceeding energy expenditure, causing the excess energy to be converted into fat and stored in the body. But why are some people prone to weight gain while others are not? Scientific research has found that there are differences between individuals. Different people have different appetites, and their processes of digestion, absorption, utilization, and metabolism are not entirely the same. These differences depend on both genetic factors and environmental and social factors, including diet, exercise, culture, and psychology. The development of obesity is actually the result of the combined effects of multiple factors, including genetics, dietary habits, lifestyle, and social environment.

A person with a genetic predisposition to obesity is not guaranteed to become obese; they are simply more prone to obesity than those without this genetic predisposition. Genetics is like a seed, while environmental and social factors are like soil, humidity, temperature, and sunlight. A seed alone, without suitable conditions, will struggle to blossom and bear fruit. However, providing the right environment can foster obesity. Modern lifestyles and unhealthy dietary habits create a fertile ground for obesity, explaining the increasing prevalence of obesity today.

Weight fluctuations are influenced by many factors. The weight of the same person can vary by more than 1 kilogram at different times of the day. For example, the weight measured before and after eating or drinking, before and after sleeping, and before and after urinating or defecating will be different. However, this difference fluctuates regularly within a certain range and is a very normal phenomenon.

To avoid errors caused by such differences, weight should be measured at the same time and under similar conditions every day, week, or month. It is best to weigh yourself in the morning after defecating, before breakfast, or after showering while wearing underwear and barefoot, and record the actual weight at that time, then compare it with previous records.

It's worth noting that when you weigh yourself first thing in the morning, your weight might appear "lighter" because the food you ate the night before has already been digested; conversely, your weight might have increased after you've eaten. Similarly, the weight you get when you weigh yourself wearing thick sweaters and leather shoes will differ from when you weigh yourself in just your underwear and barefoot. These comparisons allow you to observe weight changes. Weight fluctuations are used to determine if your weight is within the healthy range and can also assist doctors in identifying medical conditions. Sudden weight gain or loss without significant changes in diet and exercise often indicates a possible underlying medical condition.

**Psychological Factors**

**1. Psychological problems are a significant factor contributing to obesity.**

Experts at the Moscow Medical Academy have pointed out that psychological problems may be the cause of obesity in some individuals. Therefore, treatment should not be a matter of treating the symptoms rather than the root cause; addressing the underlying psychological issues is key.

They found that only about 10% of obese patients are able to maintain their weight loss results within two years of successfully losing weight. The reasons for this inability to maintain weight loss are complex, one of which is that the psychological issues underlying some obese patients have not been treated. According to experts, some people eat excessively or binge eat when they are depressed. Others often suffer from insomnia and eat when they are sleepless. Over time, these individuals are more prone to obesity. When such obese patients undergo dieting, they often experience depression and distress. After the treatment ends, they uncontrollably overeat, resulting in the loss of their weight loss achievements.

In response to this situation, experts implemented psychotherapy for obese patients who were accustomed to emotional eating, and achieved satisfactory results.

**2. Excessive stress can lead to waistline obesity in slender women.**

A research team at the University of California conducted an experiment to study the relationship between psychological stress and obesity. They studied 59 women aged 30 to 46 who were experiencing psychological stress. These women all reported experiencing considerable life stress. At the start of the experiment, the researchers collected saliva samples from them to test their levels of cortisone (a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands).

The study found that even if the secretion of cortisone in other parts of a healthy woman is within the normal range and her weight is within the normal range, excessive psychological stress can increase the secretion of cortisone in the abdomen, leading to fat accumulation.

Researchers further discovered that regardless of whether the women were slim or obese, those with higher abdominal fat were less able to withstand stress and secreted more cortisol when under excessive stress, while women with less abdominal fat did not secrete as much cortisol.

Researchers were surprised by the differences between slim and obese women. Dr. Abel, who led the study, pointed out that excess abdominal fat in slim women could be caused by heavy life stress and hormonal imbalances, while for overweight women, abdominal fat deposits are simply part of the obesity outcome. The causes of abdominal fat deposits are varied, including genetics, smoking, exercise, diet, and the stress found in this study.

Dr. Abel points out that psychological stress can cause abdominal fat accumulation in healthy individuals with normal levels of resting cortisone and an average weight. This is a bad sign because excess abdominal fat is more likely to increase the incidence of several diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, compared to fat accumulation in the thighs or buttocks. However, people can completely manage stress to achieve health benefits. In addition, exercise also offers many benefits, such as stress management, reducing cortisone levels, and visceral fat.

**3. Psychological anxiety can increase appetite and lead to obesity.**

Psychologists have found that obese people tend to eat more when faced with high-anxiety situations, while people of normal weight tend to eat less.

Back in 1977, White conducted an experiment where he had two groups of students, one obese and one normal-weight, watch four films over four semesters: a tragic and sentimental film, a funny and entertaining film, a sexy and exciting film, and a travelogue film (the first three films were emotionally stimulating). After each film viewing, the students tasted and rated different brands of cookies. The results showed that the obese group ate more cookies after watching the first three films than after watching the fourth film; while the normal-weight group ate roughly the same amount of cookies after watching all four films.

In 1987, Heman et al. conducted a similar experiment: he divided dieters and non-dieters into two groups and invited them to participate in a market survey on ice cream flavors on an empty stomach. Before the tasting, the first group was told that after tasting the ice cream, they must create an advertising jingle for the product, record it, and then show it to marketing experts. The second group was not given this task; they only needed to list the product features that should be emphasized in advertising after tasting the ice cream. The results showed that non-dieters ate more when under stress.

Both of the above experiments confirmed that obese people are more susceptible to emotional influences and tend to overeat.

**4. Mood changes can lead to obesity.**

Humans experience emotions and desires, and obese individuals are no exception. Medical research indicates that emotional changes can also lead to weight gain.

In 1974, Kritz pointed out that the incidence of obesity among African American women was 2 to 3 times higher than that among white middle-class women. Lower income and unstable social status led them to overeat and crave sweets, resulting in obesity.