Among the problems with which they most often turn to a psychologist, the issue of excess weight is encountered quite often. Many women have tried many diets and used numerous weight loss methods, but have not achieved the desired result. In some cases, the result was temporary. What is the psychological background of the problem of excess weight?
Being overweight and feeling loved
It turns out there is a strong connection between food and the feeling of being loved. This connection is formed in childhood itself, when the mother leans the child to her chest and thereby shows that he is loved. Thus, food, the feeling of care and love are linked together, and when one is touched, other experiences arise by association. For example, if a person feels the need for love and care, he remembers that he received them in food, and thus seeks to compensate for what he lacks so much. Gradually, food begins to replace love and for a while creates the illusion that we are being cared for. And then extra pounds appear, which are very difficult to get rid of.
Sexual dissatisfaction
The second reason for food addiction can be sexual dissatisfaction, since from the physiological point of view, food and sex give almost the same pleasant sensations. In both cases, physiologists will talk about the substances and pleasure hormones that are produced at these moments. Therefore, sexual dissatisfaction and lack of harmony in a relationship with a partner can be compensated by the need to eat something tasty. And again, extra pounds are obtained.
For a while, with great effort of will, you can cope with excess weight through diets and a variety of exercises. However, if the psychological component continues to push on the path of compensating for other needs with food, then at some point a breakdown occurs and the arrow of the scales again rapidly creeps up. Nutritionists in such cases are advised to pull yourself together and start all over again. However, the best option would be to eliminate the causes that lead to such breakdowns.
The need for security
Also, the need for security can lead to excess weight, which, however, our body understands in its own way. For example, if a girl is injured in a relationship with a young man, then her subconscious mind can protect her from such situations by making her ugly and fat. Who would like this?
And it turns out that with being overweight, a girl feels relatively safe, because a new relationship is perceived as stress and something that will bring pain.
So, in each case, the problem of excess weight has its own psychological reasons, which sometimes need to be dealt with, in addition to dieting and other methods of losing weight.
