Today is World Obesity Day and it comes amid the revelation that more than one billion people around the world are living with obesity, as per the medical journal The Lancet.
In the UK, about 16.8 million people are obese, which according to the NHS is when a person’s BMI score is 30-39.9. Any higher is classed as severely obese.
Dr Catherine Carney, a psychiatrist at Delamere, a private addiction rehab clinic in Cuddington, has spoken about the causes of obesity and how to address them.
Genetics, socioeconomic status, health conditions and environmental factors all play a part, as does an individual’s mental and emotional health, particularly if they have a food addiction or binge-eating disorder.
“People who do this might feel a lack of control over their eating, sometimes eating rapidly, alone, and until they’re uncomfortably full,” said Dr Carney.
“It also brings with it strong negative emotions, with some people feeling depressed, guilty, or disgusted with themselves.
“This unhealthy relationship with food is often difficult to spot in friends and family as it is done in secrecy.
“Negative physical health impacts from binge eating include increased risk of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes, as well as digestive and respiratory issues.”
On how to develop a healthier relationship with food, Dr Carney said: “Everyone has their own relationship with food, so a personalised recovery programme that meets your specific needs, following a physical assessment from a doctor, is recommended.
“The assessment should identify any serious risks or dangers, and the recovery programme will focus on creating healthy habits while eating food.”
Dr Carney also suggests sharing your cravings with friends and family to lift the burden.
Her other advice includes trying to eat with friends or family to tackle the loneliness, practicing self-care in preparation for cravings, triggers and relapses, and creating structured meal plans and times in the day to eat.
Dr Carney also believes psychological support, such as counselling, is ‘absolutely’ important.
“Obesity and other issues relating to eating have psychological issues at their root,” she said.
“It is a psycho-physical issue, so a dual approach will be needed if someone is to truly recover in as healthy a way possible, and so it doesn’t lead to something worse, such as an eating disorder.”
