The author discusses the symbolism of obesity in different psychosocial contexts.
Ad:
Cultural influences
Although both men and women have problems with obesity, the latter are far more numerous. Women also suffer more from being obese and make more attempts to lose weight. At the same time, they experience many failures in controlling their appetite, often attributing qualities to certain foods, e.g. sweets, that go beyond their natural properties (e.g. to satisfy pleasure, bring relief, comfort). Some researchers believe that this has to do with the fact that in the female brain the hunger centre and the sexual centre are in the same place. They believe that food often becomes a substitute for sex - it triggers desire, arouses passion and brings satisfaction. This is why it is so difficult to control. A woman begins to link food with appearance, self-control, getting along with herself, with guilt and shame, not just with hunger. In addition, culture often imposes a range of behaviours on women from which they can derive pleasure. Eating is usually allowed in this respect, unlike sex. If it turns out that cultural influences play an important role in overeating, a positive change in the psychological area should consist of accepting one's own physicality and allowing all natural needs to be adequately satisfied.
Excessive body weight
Despite the overwhelming evidence that obesity reduces quality of life, being obese can nevertheless be associated with psychological benefits. Obesity can be:
-
an unconscious identification with a close, admired person in childhood,
-
a paradoxical facilitation of interpersonal relations (giving the impression of generosity, joviality),
-
an excuse not to carry out certain behaviours or tasks ("I'll start doing it when I lose weight"),
-
a substitute problem that pushes more serious, anxiety-inducing problems into the background,
-
a symbol of health for those concerned about their own or their loved ones' health,
-
a safeguard against unwanted sexual propositions or behaviour from other people.
Forced eating
Many obese people experience situations where eating is out of their control. Despite not feeling hungry, or even feeling full, they cannot stop eating. The choice of foods or how they fit together is then irrelevant, as biting and swallowing becomes the most important thing. In this case, overeating can:
-
signify hostility towards parents or a rejection of their authority,
-
be a means to gain love or acceptance from others,
-
be an expression of unconscious or unacceptable emotions,
-
express self-loathing and self-punishment,
-
express success in life and the right to self-determination,
-
express a relationship with loved ones with ambivalent feelings,
-
constitute a kind of protective layer, isolating access to unwanted opinions and feelings from the outside and preventing the disclosure of experienced emotions.
When eating is out of control and previous attempts to cope with obesity are unsuccessful, it is worth considering the contribution of psychological factors, and thus including psychological help or psychotherapy in the treatment of obesity.
Bibliography:
Basdevant A., Le Barzic M., Guy - Grand B. (1996). Obesity. Cracow: Medycyna Praktyczna.
Radoszewska J. (2000). I am fat, so I am. Psychological News, 1, 65 - 73.
Kashak E. (2001). The new psychology of women. A feminist approach. Gdańsk: GWP.
Bak-Sosnowska M. (2009). Between the body and the mind. Obesity and weight loss in an integrative approach. Impuls Publishing House, Kraków.
