A mental illness
Obesity has been increasing in the COVID era, fuelled by eating disorders as people scramble to cope with varied issues
The pandemic-induced lockdown, social-distancing and disruption of normalcy have pushed many to the edge of a mental break-down and has sent up the rate of obesity.
A survey conducted by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI found that 48 percent of the respondents had put on weight during the lockdown and around the same percentage reported feeling more anxious or depressed than usual during the time. The findings bring to light the co-relation between stress and over-eating, giving rise to a vicious cycle of binge eating, obesity and guilt. This rise in obesity rates is not just because of a lack of exercise, but more because of people experiencing a feeling of emptiness, made worse by the lack of socialisation and recreational activities.
Saher Ali, Holistic Psychologist, points out that emotional eating is a mental illness. She says, “According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), an eating disorder is characterised by a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behaviour that results in the altered consumption or absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical health or psycho-social functioning.” Emotional eating can damage one’s interpersonal relationships, make people moody and disrupt their bodily functions, causing complications to their emotional and physical health and wellbeing.
The feelings of emptiness led by anxiety can be persistent and unbearable. Eating can temporarily ease that feeling, giving one a feeling of ‘fullness’ which is usually followed by feelings of guilt and shame for having eaten too much
— SAHER ALI, Holistic Psychologist
STRESS LEADS TO OVER-EATING
Saher says, “Emotional eating is a maladaptive coping mechanism that an individual uses to cope with stress and anxiety which stems out of a feeling of emotional void and emptiness within.”
AWARENESS IS KEY
Becoming aware that one is using eating as a way to cope with negative emotions can be the first step towards breaking the harmful cycle. Saher says emotional eating can be cured through therapy. “Counselling helps people to heal their eating addiction through self-acceptance and awareness and discover their own inner strengths to cope with the challenges that they face during their de-addiction journey,” she adds.
HELP THEM HELP THEMSELVES
Talking about how to deal with people going through eating disorders, Saher warns that well-meaning advice could also be dangerous. “We must refrain from giving obsessive eaters quick-fix solutions. In order to help them you should rather show concern about their wellbeing and encourage them to seek professional help without shame or guilt,” she says.