The title contains a popular query in search engines. But this article will not offer tips like "count to 10 and drink a glass of water. " Let's talk about something else: why it's a bad idea to force yourself not to eat for weight loss and how todeal 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 hear its signs and know how to negotiate with it. If your body shows signs of hunger, you note it, satiety, you stop eating. The message "do not eat to lose weight" involves breaking this contact, self-confrontation and manifestation of automatic aggression. It turns out that in order to achieve the goal (weight loss) you are taking action against yourself. This is not goodOdull and unhealthyOinn.
Psychiatrist: Most people who have lost weight due to a restrictive diet regain it within 1-2 years. In addition, 2/3 of them gain more than they lost.
Endocrinologist:The message of forcing yourself not to eat to lose weight is irrational. It is important to understand: what happens to the body? Maybe this is not a question of improper diet, but hormonal properties.
And what is it all about - a healthy attitude towards food?
Psychiatrist: This is when regular meals and snacks are not accompanied by anxiety, shame and guilt. Lack of "forbidden foods", dieting and calorie counting. And when you allow yourself to enjoy food.
Endocrinologist:It's about treating food as a condition for a happy and fulfilling life. And not a substitute for joy and pleasure.
Practicing psychologist: This is when you eat out of hunger, quit when you are full, do not focus on the defects of the body, which must be "corrected" with food or refuse from it, when you do not eat too much, do not seize emotions.
Can you give it more information? How and why do we eat up emotions?
Practicing psychologist: There are no good and bad feelings for the psyche, she can handle anything. She does not need food, alcohol, gadgets or television for that. But there are situations when a person drowned their feelings with food. Upset, I ate a bowl of ice cream - it got easier. His behavior was positively reinforced and the person began to resort to this policy again and again.
Psychologist consultant:People often eat too much because they lack rest. Let me give you an example. A young woman came up with a problem: at night she eats a lot and can not stop herself. It turned out that she works for three, because she does not know how to refuse colleagues. There's no time to get a bite: trade all the time. And at night she can not eat. That is, a person empties himself, overtrains, is stressed all the time. How to recover lost energy? Hamburgers, potatoes, chocolate.
It turns out that if a person eats when he is bored, anxious, angry, tired or bored, is that wrong?
Psychologist consultant:In itself, this is neither good nor bad: food is unconsciously linked to safety. For newborns, food is not just food, but closeness to mom, soothing, self-confidence, recognition, 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, eating dinner with your family is close. Going out to a restaurant with friends eliminates the need for social interaction. The problem arises when food becomes a crutch for our negative experiences. This brings us to the subject of eating disorders (EID) or eating disorders. Psychiatry addresses these problems.
Wait wait! It turns out that if I ate a piece of chocolate after work and got a pang of conscience - is this already a disorder? Should I go straight to a psychiatrist?
Practicing psychologist:Complicated issue. There are situations when a person eats on the run, chaotic, not noticing what he is eating. Or he eats when he is not very hungry - out of boredom or company. Maybe this is just an eating disorder that can be fixed with a dietitian. 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 decide that. In our country there is a psychiatrist in this.
Endocrinologist:It happens that a person is constantly sad, worried, tired - and grasps these problems. Maybe this is the result of constant stress. But they are also symptoms of endogenous depression and anxiety. A psychiatrist is also involved in the diagnosis of such diseases.
But is not ERP - Bulimia and Anorexia? Symptoms are difficult to confuse
Psychiatrist: This is not just bulimia and anorexia. Eating disorders also include mental overeating (also called paroxysmal or compulsive disorder), eating unhealthy foods (Pick's disease) and mental anorexia. These are diseases that are included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, there are diseases that are not included in this list, but also attract the attention of psychiatrists: specific eating disorders, orthodoxy (when the desire for a healthy lifestyle goes beyond all limits) and pregorexia (the strictest restrictive diet of pregnant women).
Practicing psychologist: Psychology also reports overeating syndrome (BOE): when a person eats almost nothing all day, can not sleep for a long time or wakes up often and goes to the fridge, when he wakes up.
Is Obesity Also ERP?
Psychiatrist: Not always. There can be many reasons - these are hereditary, and sedentary lifestyles and hormonal disorders. RPP can not be equated with obesity.
Practicing psychologist: Yes I agree. There are people with totally healthy eating habits who are overweight. And it happens the other way around - for example, patients with anorexia.
Heard that the RPP problem revolves around women, teens, and role models? It's true?
Psychiatrist:Of course not. The disorder can develop at any age in both men and women. For example, children with eating disorders are more likely to have an eating disorder - the child only eats certain foods.
Practicing psychologist: Anorexia and bulimia are more common in women. But obsessive-compulsive disorder - in both men and women. So it is impossible to say that RPP is purely a female problem. And yes, teenagers, role models, athletes who participate in aesthetic sports (rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, sports dancing), TV personalities, bloggers, actresses - everyone who is in sight and who works by appearance are at risk. But the problem can affect anyone, even those who are far from the modeling industry or the beauty blog.
It is believed that any kind of nutritional problem is an attempt to attract attention. This is true?
Practicing psychologist: There is such an opinion, but it is not scientifically substantiated. Yes, during treatment, it may be seen that RPP started when the individual was not approved by peers. For example, for a girl aged 13-15, it is important that the boys look at her and that her friends agree, so she went on a strict diet. It also happens that problems with food are a child's attempt to get the parents' attention, often unknowingly. But these are rather special cases. It is wrong to think that the need for attention is the main cause of eating disorders.
So what is the reason?
Practicing psychologist: There are three groups of reasons: biological, psychological and social. Biological - for example, genetic predisposition to RPC - can unfortunately be inherited. Psychological - domestic violence, prohibition of the expression of negative emotions, violation of the attachment of parents and child (for example, if the child has cold, distant parents). Social - worship of ideals of beauty, neighborliness, bullying.
PsychiatristA: There are certain personality traits that can contribute to the development of EID, such as perfectionism or over-responsibility. Characteristics of eating behavior in the family, attitudes towards weight and image also have an effect. The child could be rewarded with sweets for good behavior and learning, and this stuck: since I'm good, you can take candy. Very good? I take ten.
Psychologist consultant:Many patients with ECD have experienced physical or sexual abuse. Also for many people, food helps to get extra benefits from the condition. For example, one of my clients needed weight to defend himself against men. During the treatment, we found that during school age, the girl found herself in an awkward situation with an adult. The client was surprised that she remembered this: this story seemed "forgotten" but continued to influence the girl's behavior in adulthood. They also revealed the belief that men love only neighbors. If so, the extra weight helped her to "be safe", that is, without men.
How common are eating disorders in society?
Psychiatrist: The prevalence of RPC in the world is estimated at 9%. In high-risk groups, the prevalence is higher. There are studies in teenage girls that show that about 13% have CRP symptoms around the age of 20. Anorexia is one of the deadly mental disorders, preceded only by chemical addiction.
Practicing psychologist: It is difficult to give exact numbers, because people with PAD often do not understand that they need help. There are numbers for the United States, where it is a center for research and statistics on eating disorders: there are approximately 30 million people living with eating disorders. There are twice as many women as men (20 million against 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:
- An individual vomits after eating or compensates for what they have otherwise eaten, for example with excessive physical exertion (physical tyranny), laxatives and diuretics.
- Strong attachment to weight and image (you can not add / lose one gram or centimeter! ).
- Numerous attempts to reduce weight and body weight fluctuations.
- Various rules of nutrition (I eat only protein, only vegetables, only red).
- Constant thoughts, fears and guilt and shame associated with food intake and body weight. When thoughts and behaviors related to food cause great suffering.
- Loses control over the amount eaten.
However, many people may have such symptoms to varying degrees. Is there a more accurate analysis?
Endocrinologist:RPD is a systemic chronic disease. It causes metabolic changes in systems and organs, changes in the regulation of human nervous humor. This is a complex problem that can manifest itself in neurons, organic diseases of the brain, organic damage and depression.
But first you need to determine the cause of the symptoms. For example, if a person runs into the fridge at night, you need to find out the amount of glycogen to rule out insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
What if you understand that you or your loved one has RPP?
Practicing psychologist: If you have - see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. If you suspect RPP in a loved one, it's harder: he often refuses, does not want to admit that something is wrong with him. And unnecessary pressure can ruin trust. Let your loved one know that you are by his side, ready to help and support.
Who treats ECD? Just a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrist: No. Psychiatrist diagnoses. And he cures, depending on the disease, a psychiatrist, a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist (as prescribed by a psychiatrist). Why is it so important to see a psychiatrist in the first place? Because it can cause concomitant diseases such as depression or anxiety disorder, which are found in about 80% of cases in people with RPD. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. It can be chemotherapy combined with psychotherapy (group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy). Family therapy is also recommended.
Psychologist consultant:Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are primarily treated by a psychiatrist. Emotional overeating - psychologist, counselor psychologist. Obesity - nutritionist-endocrinologist (you need to check hormones, whether your metabolism is disturbed) together with a psychologist or psychologists.