Scientists from the University of North Carolina have found that cyclical weight fluctuations caused by strict diets and subsequent overeating can harm mental health. results published in Qualitative Health Research (QHR).
As part of the study, researchers invited 36 adults (13 men and 23 women) to participate in a comprehensive study about their physical and mental health. Volunteers had previously experienced cyclical weight fluctuations; They had lost and gained more than 11 kilos (about five kilos). It was noted that all study participants reported wanting to lose weight due to the social stigma associated with their weight, as well as comparisons of their weight to the weight of celebrities and/or their peers.
Stigma is the formation of a negative attitude towards a person or a group of people based on some psychological, physical, intellectual and other characteristics.
This means that in the vast majority of cases, participants dieted not to improve their health, but because they felt social pressure. Gaining weight back after strict diets has been linked to feelings of shame and increased stigma around being overweight. As a result, the subjects began to feel worse than before they started the diet. This often encouraged people to lose excess weight again.
This type of eating behavior often leads to emotional eating, restricting certain foods and calories in general, stress, and excessive exercise, the study authors explained. These symptoms are typical of the eating disorders anorexia, bulimia and orthorexia.
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