The title contains popular queries in search engines. But this article won’t offer advice like "count to 10 and drink a glass of water. " Let’s talk about something else: why forcing yourself not to eat for weight loss is a bad idea and how to deal with your attitude towards food.
What's wrong with not eating to lose weight?
Practicing psychologist: If you have a healthy attitude towards nutrition, then you are in touch with your body - you listen to its signals and know how to negotiate with it. If the body signals hunger, you will satisfy it; full, you stop eating. The message "don’t eat to lose weight" implies severing this relationship, confrontation with oneself and manifestations of auto-aggression. It turns out that to achieve the goal (weight loss), you take a step against yourself. This is not goodOdull and unhealthyOin.
Psychiatrist: Most people who have lost weight as a result of a strict diet regain it within 1-2 years. Moreover, 2/3 of them gain more than they lose.
Endocrinologist:The message to force yourself not to eat to lose weight is irrational. It is important to understand: what happens to the body? Maybe this is not a matter of improper diet, but hormonal characteristics.
And what is it all about - a healthy attitude towards food?
Psychiatrist: This is when regular eating and snacks are not accompanied by anxiety, shame and guilt. Lack of "forbidden foods", diet and calorie counting. And when you allow yourself to enjoy food.
Endocrinologist:It is about treating food as a condition for a fulfilling and happy life. And not as a substitute for joy and pleasure.
Practicing psychologist: This is when you eat because you are hungry, stop when you are full, do not focus on the shortcomings of your body, which must be "corrected" with food or rejection of it, when you do not overeat, do not seize emotions.
Can you provide more details? How and why do we consume emotions?
Practicing psychologist: There are no good and bad emotions for the soul, it can overcome any. He doesn’t need food, alcohol, gadgets or TV for this. But there are situations when a person drowns his emotions with food. Sorry, I ate a bowl of ice cream - it got easier. His behavior received positive reinforcement, and the person began to use this strategy repeatedly.
Psychological consultant:Often, people overeat because they lack rest. Let me give you an example. A young woman comes with a problem: at night she eats a lot and can't help herself. It turned out that he worked for three people, because he did not know how to push a colleague. No time to eat: business all the time. And in the evening he could not eat. That is, a person spends himself, works too much on himself, is under stress all the time. How to replenish lost energy? Burgers, potatoes, chocolate.
It turns out that if a person eats when he is bored, anxious, angry, tired or sad, is that wrong?
Psychological consultant: By itself, this is neither good nor bad: food is subconsciously linked to safety. For a newborn, food is not just food, but closeness to the mother, soothing, confidence, acceptance, love, communication. Adults also sometimes eat to calm down. It’s bad when it’s the only way to deal with anxiety or fear.
Psychiatrist: With food we meet different psychological needs. For example, having dinner with the family is intimacy. Going out to a restaurant with friends closes the need for social interaction. Problems arise when food becomes a stick for our negative experiences. This brings us to the topic of eating disorders (EID) or eating disorders. Psychiatry deals with this problem.
Wait wait! It turns out that if I eat a chocolate bar after hours and feel guilty - is this already a distraction? Should I go straight to a psychiatrist?
Practicing psychologist:Complex issues. There are situations when a person eats in a runaway, chaos, not caring what he eats. Or he eats when he’s not really hungry - because he’s bored or for a friend. It may just be an eating disorder that can be corrected with a nutritionist. But, at the same time, eating out of hunger is one of the symptoms of RIP. The line is very thin. And only a doctor can determine it. In our country, psychiatrists are involved in this.
Endocrinologist:It happens that a person is always sad, worried, tired - and seizes the problem. Perhaps this is the result of constant stress. But it is also a symptom of endogenous depression and anxiety neurosis. Psychiatrists are also involved in the diagnosis of such conditions.
But isn’t ERP - Bulimia and Anorexia? Symptoms are difficult to confuse
Psychiatrist: It’s not just bulimia and anorexia. Eating disorders also include psychogenic overeating (also called paroxysmal or compulsive), eating inedible foods (Pick’s disease), and psychogenic loss of appetite. This is a disorder that is included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, there are disorders that are not included in this list, but also attract the attention of psychiatrists: selective eating disorders, orthorexia (when the desire for a healthy lifestyle transcends all boundaries) and pregorexia (the strictest restriction diet in pregnant women).
Practicing psychologist: Psychology also distinguishes Overeating Syndrome (BOE): when a person does not eat most of the day, cannot sleep long, or often wakes up and, waking up, goes to the refrigerator.
Is obesity also ERP?
Psychiatrist: Not always. There are many reasons - these are genetics, and an inactive lifestyle, and hormonal disorders. It is not possible to equate RPP with obesity.
Practicing psychologist: Yes, I agree. There are people who have really healthy eating behaviors who are obese. And it happens the other way around - for example, patients with anorexia nervosa.
Have you heard that the problem of RPP is primarily about women, teenagers and models? Really?
Psychiatrist:Of course not. This disorder can develop at any age in both men and women. For example, selective eating disorders most often occur in children-children only eat certain foods.
Practicing psychologist: Anorexia and bulimia are more common in women. But compulsive overeating - the same in men and women. So it is impossible to say that RPP is a purely women’s problem. And yes, teenagers, models, athletes involved in aesthetic sports (rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, sports dancing), TV presenters, bloggers, actors - everyone who looks and works depends on risky appearances. But the problem can befall anyone, including those far from the modeling business or beauty blog.
It is believed that any eating problem is an attempt to attract attention. This is true?
Practicing psychologist: There is such an opinion, but it is not scientifically grounded. Yes, during therapy, it may turn out that RPP begins when the person is not accepted by peers. For example, for a girl aged 13-15 years, it is important that the man sees her and his friends agree, and therefore she is on a strict diet. It also happens that the problem with food is a child’s attempt to impress a parent, often subconsciously. But this is a rather special case. It is wrong to think that the need for attention is a major cause of eating disorders.
So what is the reason?
Practicing psychologist: There are three groups of causes: biological, psychological and social. Biology - for example, genetic predisposition to RPC - unfortunately, can be inherited. Psychology-domestic violence, prohibition of negative emotional expression, violation of parent-child attachment (for example, if the child has a cold and lonely parent). Social - the veneration of the ideals of beauty, skinny, bullying.
PsychiatristA: There are certain personality traits that can contribute to the development of EID, such as perfectionism or hyperresponsibility. The peculiarities of eating behavior in the family, attitudes towards weight and figure also influence. The child can be rewarded with candy for good behavior and learning, and this is stuck: because I’m good, you can pick up candy. Peachy? I'll take ten.
Psychological consultant:Many patients with ECD have experienced physical or sexual abuse. Also for most people, food helps derive secondary benefits from the condition. For example, one of my clients needed weight to protect herself from men. During therapy, we found that at school age the girl experienced an unpleasant situation with an adult male. The client is shocked as she remembers this: the story seems "forgotten", but continues to influence the girl’s behavior in adulthood. They also revealed the belief that men only like the slim ones. If so, the extra weight helps her be "safe", i. e. without men.
How common are eating disorders in the community?
Psychiatrist: It is believed that the prevalence of RPC in the world is about 9%. In the at -risk group, the prevalence was higher. There are studies on adolescent girls that report that by age 20, about 13% have CRP symptoms. Anorexia is one of the most deadly mental disorders, preceded only by chemical addiction.
Practicing psychologist: It is difficult to give an exact number, as PAD sufferers often do not understand at all that they need help. There are numbers for the United States, as it is an eating disorder research and statistics center: there are about 30 million people living with an eating disorder. There are twice as many women than men (20 million versus 10 million). And every hour in the world at least 1 person dies as a result of RPE.
What are the symptoms of RPE? Can I diagnose it myself?
Psychiatrist: In general, the main symptoms are as follows:
- A person makes himself vomit after eating or balances what he has eaten in other ways, for example, excessive physical exercise (physical cruelty), laxatives and diuretics.
- Strong fixation on weight and figure (you can’t add / lose a gram or centimeter! ).
- Various attempts to lose weight and weight swings.
- Various rules in nutrition (I eat only protein, only vegetables, only red).
- Persistent thoughts, fears and feelings of guilt and shame are related to food intake and weight gain. When food -related thoughts and behaviors bring a lot of suffering.
- Loss of control over the amount consumed.
But many may have such symptoms to varying degrees. Is there a more accurate diagnosis?
Endocrinologist:RPD is a chronic systemic disease. It causes metabolic changes in systems and organs, changes in human neurohumoral regulation. This is a complex problem that can manifest in neurosis, organic pathology of the brain, organic lesions and depressive disorders.
But first you need to determine the cause of the symptoms. For example, if someone runs to the fridge at night, you need to know glycogen levels to exclude insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
What if you understand that you or a loved one has RPP?
Practicing psychologist: If you have - consult a psychiatrist for diagnosis. If you suspect RPP in a loved one, it’s even harder: he often refuses, not wanting to admit that there’s something wrong with him. And unnecessary stress can break trust. Tell your loved ones that you are by their side, ready to help and support.
Who Treats ECD? Just a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrist: No. A psychiatrist diagnosed. And he heals, depending on the disease, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist (as prescribed by a psychotherapist). Why is it so important to see a psychiatrist in the first place? Because it can reveal comorbid conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders, which are found in about 80% of cases in people with RPD. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. It can be drug therapy in combination with psychotherapy (group, cognitive behavior, dialectical behavior). Family therapy is also recommended.
Psychological consultant:Anorexia and bulimia are treated primarily by psychiatrists. Emotional overeating - psychologists, counselor psychologists. Obesity - a nutritionist -endocrinologist (you need to check hormones, whether metabolism is disturbed) along with a psychologist or psychotherapist.