How can we help with Weight Management & Food Issues?

There are many health risks associated with being overweight or obese including osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, sleep apnoea, stroke, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Obesity rates in the United Kingdom are amongst the highest in Europe. So, given the associated health risks and the possibility of a greatly reduced life expectancy, why do people overeat? The reasons are complex and can be influenced by medical conditions, genetics and environment. There are some medical conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis and having an under-active thyroid which can cause weight gain, however, less than 1 case in 100 has a medical cause for obesity.

The cause of being overweight or obese, taken at face value, is simple, if your daily intake of calories is greater than the amount of energy expended, your body will store the excess calories as fat and put on weight. So, eating less and exercising more will lead to a reduction in weight. Most people are aware of this but can still find it very difficult to stick to a healthy, balanced diet. It is quite common for people to adopt a cycle of dieting, overeating, feeling guilty and starting the cycle all over again. Research has shown that “yoyo dieting” leads to weight gain, with it being harder and harder to lose the additional weight. While diets look at (and restrict) what you eat and how often you eat it, they do not address how you feel about what you eat or how you feel about the way you look. The relationship we have with food is a vital part of being in control of our eating habits, including understanding why we crave certain foods.

There are several different types of eating disorder, the most common being anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Eating disorders are mental health conditions that all involve an unhealthy relationship with food and eating, and often an intense fear of being overweight. If you have an eating disorder you may experience one or more of the following:

• You have a preoccupation and concern about food and gaining weight.
• You would like to lose weight even though friends or family worry that you are underweight
• You let people around you think you have eaten when you haven’t.
• You’re secretive about your eating habits because you know they’re unhealthy.
  Eating makes you feel anxious, upset or guilty.
• You make yourself vomit or use laxatives to lose weight.

It’s unlikely that an eating disorder will be the result of one single cause. It’s much more likely to be a combination of many factors, events, feelings or pressures that lead to you feeling unable to cope.

These can include low self-esteem, problems with friends or family relationships, the death of someone special, problems at school, college, university or work, lack of confidence, or sexual or emotional abuse. Many people talk about simply feeling too fat or not good enough. You might use food to help you cope with painful situations or feelings without even realising it.

In situations where there are high academic expectations, family issues or social pressures, you may focus on food and eating as a way of coping. People with eating disorders often say that the eating disorder is the only way they feel they can stay in control of their life. But, as time goes on, it is the eating disorder that starts to control you.

Anyone can develop an eating disorder, regardless of age, gender, sex, cultural or racial background.