I was watching the Today Show last week and they were talking about weight. One of the doctors they had on was saying that when she sees an overweight woman, she sees a woman with emotional issues.

Do you think it's accurate to automatically assume that if a woman is overweight that she has emotional issues or do you think it's yet another societal view/stereotype of people who are overweight?

For me, personally, being overweight is related to "emotional issues." Not huge giant things, but a general neglect of my wellbeing and a general lack of mindfulness about what I'm putting in my body and how I'm moving it. It's related to poor stress management for me too. Just like in the past when I was quite thin, that was due to "emotional issues" too - depression, anxiety, disordered eating, etc.

Can't speak for other people, but for me it's true.

I think that it is never safe to assume anything, and you would never apply that thinking to the issue of race, or something like that...so why would someone think it would be fine to say it about weight? That being said, I do not think that people who are overweight generally became that way because of emotional problems; there could be a million reasons why. However, I do think that it is highly likely for someone to develop emotional issues after becoming overweight. I was over weight when I was born, so I can't tell the difference.

Assumptions are never good but emotional issues made me fat, which gave me more emotional issues that made me fatter.... and so it goes on.

I think ALL women (and men!) have emotional "issues" -- it's called life. I got heavy because I stopped exercising and ate too much crap.

Yeah I have emotional issues like everyone else and their mother. It's not what made me fat.

Such a loaded question. For the woman to say "when I see an overweight person, I see emotional issues blah blah ..." is completely judgemental IMO. Regardless of how true that is for someone (me included) no one should automatically assume that someone is completely unhappy just ebcause they are overweight... look at Santa Claus... Jolliest man EVER! (Please do not get angry, I am just trying to lighten up the mood

Who doesn't have emotional issues? I'm a human being not a rock.

I think that people equate being overweight with EXCESS. Unfortunately, an excess of food becomes a weight issue and is highly visible. Those with other excesses, such as drugs and alcohol, can hide their excessive behaviours until life becomes unmanageable for them.

It IS such a loaded question -- is anorexia (or LOW intake of food) a symptom of emotional issues? And if so, why is the converse (a HIGH intake of food) NOT true? Does alcoholism/drug addition have emotional issues involved? If so, does an excess of food intake also indicate this?

We all have emotional issues, and deal with them differently. Perhaps some see obesity as a physical manifestation of these issues, just as they see alcoholism, drug addiction, anorexia, bulemia as physical manifestations of emotional issues as well as having physical components.

Kira

Right on! haha

Like everyone else has said, I think it depends on the person. From what I've seen I would say that having emotional issues is one component in the huge equation of things that makes people overweight. The thing is that it can't be all blamed on one thing or another, just like you can't fix one component in the equation and expect to lose weight magically either. It needs to be a wholistic approach when it comes to a lifestyle change and it also needs to be considered when examining the things that made you fat too. That's just my two cents

no i dont assume its emotional issues, in my opinion i think the emotional issues is just an excuse, i gained weight because i didnt watch my diet and cut back exercising

ITA!

Do fat people have emotional issues? Sure! Do skinny people have emotional issues? Sure!

Some heavy folks overeat because of their emotional issues. Some overeat for other unrelated reasons.

I DO believe, though, that being overweight *can* cause emotional issues. It's just too broad a brush to paint every single overweight person with.

Yeah. I can't throw a stone without hitting someone with an emotional issue.

I'd never assume that was true for everyone. For me it is 100% true. I never had a weight problem in my life until my early 20's when life change after another (good or bad) came along. At the time I never would have known it was emotional, the reason I kept over eating. Until I was reading on the subject did I put 2 and 2 together and realized what I was doing to myself. I was eating for sadness, comfort, loneliness, boredom, happy occasion. It sure has been a wakeup call to me and I am learning to cope with stress in more positive ways and not overeat.

I would say yes to the "being overweight means emotional issues" just because MOST people will suffer in some form in this society that idealizes being thin. Now did the chicken come before the egg? I don't know. Meaning did the emotional issues lead to weight gain? Most likely.

sexual abuse--causes a person to not want to look sexy, will gain weight as a defense mechanism (comes from the lie it was their own fault for looking good)
low self esteem--individual will not look after his or her own health, including eating too much for their size.
stress-causes a person to overeat and gain weight from anything they eat

BECAUSE emotions are so pysiologically tied to weight gain--YES I would say this is a fair generalization. But it is not to be used as a cop out.

But If I see a morbidly obese person, as part of general care, I would address the emotions. I would also do this if I see a clearly anorexic looking individual.