Article 103: Self-Psychological Adjustment for Obese Patients and Psychological Adjustment for Women

Obesity is caused by both biological and psychological factors. Therefore, psychological adjustment plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of obesity.

(1) Improve the ability to monitor and control diet: Many children and adolescents suffer from obesity, mainly due to unrestrained eating without regard to quantity or frequency. Some adults also eat without restraint, and some affluent people frequently go to restaurants for large meals, resulting in overnutrition. Over time, this leads to a "beer belly" and obesity. People use various methods to treat obesity, such as slimming foods, weight-loss drugs, and slimming teas, which may have some effect. However, the most fundamental aspect of preventing and controlling obesity is people's psychology, their dietary awareness, and the strength of their consciousness in controlling their diet. The key condition for preventing and controlling obesity is having a scientific dietary awareness and the ability to monitor and control diet. This can fundamentally prevent and control obesity. People's eating activities are controlled and regulated by their consciousness and will. Only by establishing a correct dietary awareness and the ability to monitor diet can satisfactory results be achieved in preventing and treating obesity.

(2) Change unhealthy eating habits and preferences: People who are not obese should actively identify unhealthy eating habits related to the disease and strive to overcome them. People who are already obese should resolutely change their unhealthy eating habits. People with obesity should change their habit of eating sweets. Many foods such as pastries and beverages are now high in sugar. Eating these foods and drinking these beverages frequently will only increase the weight of obese people. Overcoming the habit of eating sweets is an important way for obese people to lose weight. Various kinds of beverages flood the market and are very tempting. Some obese people, especially children and teenagers, cannot resist the temptation of these beverages. The more they drink, the more they want to drink, and the fatter they get, forming a vicious cycle. Obese people should not drink beverages and should drink plain water. Plain water is the best beverage. Many people who are used to drinking plain water do not want to drink sweet beverages. Obese people may not be used to drinking plain water at first, but they will get used to it after drinking it for a long time. Obese people are used to eating sweets. Changing this habit is extremely important for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Some dessert lovers say they feel uneasy and lose their appetite if they don't eat sweets. However, the habit of eating sweets is largely acquired, and habits can be changed. People who love sweets can gradually reduce the proportion of sweets in their diet to correct this habit. A plan to change this habit is necessary. If sweets make up 5/10 of each meal, start with 4/10 in the first week (the perceived sweetness may not be significant), then 3/10 in the second week, 2/10 in the third week, 1/10 in the fourth week, and 1/20 in the fifth week. This gradual change can effectively alter the habit of eating sweets and is beneficial for preventing obesity.

(3) Establish a good eating psychology and behavior pattern: In order to prevent and treat obesity, especially for people who have a tendency to obesity or who are already obese, it is necessary to gradually establish a good eating psychology pattern: ① Pay attention to the eating environment; ② Eat on time; ③ Eat slowly; ④ Strictly control the amount of food consumed; ⑤ Eliminate negative emotional patterns related to eating.

(4) Establishing a correct view of physical beauty: Different countries and different historical periods have different prevailing concepts of human beauty, especially for women. The popular and admired slender or full-figured figures reflect certain social psychology and are objectively real. However, from a health perspective, there is scientific basis for considering slenderness or fullness. Being excessively thin is detrimental to health.

Regardless of the cause of obesity, a significant number of women become reluctant to go out, neglect physical activity, gradually become withdrawn and isolated, and consequently lose social opportunities, creating a vicious cycle. The negative psychological impact of this situation can lead to eccentric personality traits, and may even develop into a neurotic state where they become angry at the sight of fat or react violently to any mention of it. If they further experience discrimination and rejection from society and their partners, their psychological pressure will intensify, potentially triggering suicidal thoughts or even criminal activity.

Therefore, obese women should engage in regular self-psychological adjustment.

Another source of distress for obese women is the varying degrees of decreased sexual function. A significant reason for low libido in obese women is the psychological repression caused by their weight. This repression manifests primarily as suspicion that their husbands will have affairs. These negative mindsets, in turn, can lead to a vicious cycle with reduced sex hormone secretion, resulting in frigidity. Therefore, obese women should cultivate a healthy sexual mindset to achieve a certain level of libido and sexual function. Self-abandonment is the main culprit affecting the normal activation of libido and seriously impacting family harmony.

The psychosomatic illnesses that obese women are prone to are far more numerous than these. Therefore, weight loss becomes a significant part of their lives. Jack, a psychologist at the Baylor Institute of Medical Nutrition in the United States, points out that the vast majority of women who try to lose weight through starvation cannot maintain the regimen. The psychosomatic damage caused by this cycle of starvation followed by eating can exceed the psychosomatic damage caused by refusing to lose weight.

Having excessively high expectations for weight loss is a common phenomenon during the weight loss process. Those who rely entirely on weight loss to achieve a perfect marriage and family, or who use the figure of a fashion model as their standard for weight loss, are being unrealistic and exhibiting common unhealthy weight loss mentality.