We have heard of the physical consequences of carrying extra weight, including lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease and osteoarthritis. But not much attention is given to the impact of carrying extra weight on our mental and emotional health. In this week’s episode of Sisters Without Shame, Dr Mothomang Diaho unpacks the psychological impact of carrying extra weight.
If you’ve ever carried some extra weight, you’ll know that it’s not a whole lot of fun. Aside from feeling uncomfortable, bloated, and tired, there is also the emotional impact of not looking or feeling your best, says Diaho.
“Carrying extra kilos creates an environment for the individual to be stigmatised and discriminated against because of societal expectations.”
“That stigma then negatively impacts on the individual and what results is a whole range of psychological disorders from anxiety, refusal to go into spaces, even ending in depression in some occasions, or suicide in cases where it has become severe for the individual.”
Diaho is the medical director of the Spiral Aloe Lifestyle Clinic, an organisation dedicated to promoting lifestyle as medicine.
What is the solution?
Weight gain causes an emotional ripple effect that actually makes it harder to lose weight. Diaho takes a holistic approach to weight loss and looks at the root cause of weight issues.
“It is a relationship between the individual and how they are perceived by society and how they perceive themselves in that society that creates psychological disorders,” she says.
“We pay very deep attention to root cause analyses, why did this person end up where they are? Otherwise, you are going to go straight into solution mode without understanding why the person is in that state. Is it genetics? Is it something that happened? Is it a behaviour that the patient saw?”
On this episode, Diaho also unpacks:
- Mental illnesses associated with weight;
- Body dysmorphia; and
- The benefits of food as medicine.
Listen to the full interview on Sisters Without Shame
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