Common complications related to obesity
Li said psychological distress can induce a stress response in the body, which is actually an evolutionary response geared toward self-preservation. However, when people are under prolonged pressure, and the stress response is always activated, it can lead to serious physical problems.
"Long-term stress can cause metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and also obesity," Li said. "And the three diseases mentioned above can also lead to obesity."
Another hormone that comes into play, Li said, is ghrelin, which is secreted by the gastrointestinal tract after more than a week of depression or stress.
"It will make you hungry faster and your appetite will grow stronger," said Li.
In addition to the stress response and hormone fluctuations, the nervous system also plays a role in psychological obesity. According to Li, anxiety easily affects the neural centers controlled by the hypothalamus, which manages feelings of hunger and satiety.
"Satiety and hunger disorders are horrible," Li said. "Usually people feel insatiably hungry and only eating can calm them down when they are extremely nervous."
A dangerous vicious cycle
Li said psychological obesity is striking a growing number of people in China, and that people struggling with this condition should consider incorporating psychological therapy into their efforts to lose weight.
"One's emotional state is both the root cause of obesity and a main reason for its persistence," Li said.
She added that although some patients in her department succeeded in losing weight through medical methods like acupuncture and moxibustion, the weight soon returned due to the fact that their mental and emotional issues had not been resolved.
Yu shared Li's opinion, saying that stress and other mental health problems can cause a vicious cycle of obesity, which in turn leads to worsening emotional problems, which feed into the weight problems and on and on.
Eating disorders, including bulimia, can also emerge as a result of long-term obesity, Yu said.
Eating disorders are actually neurological diseases because they are caused by imbalances of the autonomic nervous system. "However, when the nervous system is out of whack, it can affect people's moods, which can easily develop into depression," said Yu.
Both Li and Yu said a healthy mental and emotional status is crucial to preventing psychological obesity.
"People must learn to find ways of actively seeking emotional release and dealing with negative emotions, especially young white-collar workers, under the mounting pressures of life and work," Li said.
"People should deal with stress in healthy ways like physical exercise and watching movies rather than eating."
Yu added that people who think they may suffer from psychological obesity should consult a professional therapist or a psychiatrist as soon as possible.
"People can record their weight every week, and if they see an obvious increase above three kilograms, they should seek professional help," he said.
As for Yang, she has entered a weight-loss program that incorporates both physical and mental health treatments. Since she started receiving therapy three months ago, she has lost more than 50 kilograms.
"I lost more than 10 kilograms one month, which is unbelievable," she said.
"Once I am happy and hopeful about my future life, my weight drops. My goal weight is 65 kilograms, and I think I can be beautiful again."
