Obesity: How Mind, Mood and Meals Affect It

Obesity: How Mind, Mood and Meals Affect It

Posted by Bob Choat; October 18, 2013

I’m probably different than most people when it comes to eating and emotions. I’ve learned how to control that aspect of me so that I don’t overeat. So many times we’ll let our emotions get the best of us and BOOM! – we end up eating a whole tub of chocolate ice cream (or whatever flavor that tempts you). As stress and anxiety levels have increased, so has our waistlines.

The issue of mood disorders and obesity was addressed in a 2004 study by the Psychopharmacology Research and Eating Disorders and Obesity Research and Treatment Programs, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. They concluded that mood disorders and obesity may be related.

In a 2013 study by the UNT Health Science Center in Ft. Worth, TX showed that the hormone ghrelin (along with cortisol) were not lessened after a meal eaten by obese women. Stress, anxiety, hunger, and other behavior issues were not suppressed. Normally after a meal, a person would feel full and yet in this study it showed that obese women were not able to do that. Stress and anxiety were clearly an issue.

Dr. Lori Shemek has educated me on much of how ghrelin is a major cause in obesity and it’s much more than I even thought. In 2012 researchers at the Food for Health Ireland, University College Cork surmised that treating ghrelin may be a way to successfully intervene in stopping obesity.

A 2012 Irish study showed that gut bacteria communicated with the central nervous system (CNS) and therefore, affected behavior and moods. The interesting thing regarding this study was the any change in gut flora led to changes in inflammation and obesity Who would have thought that these bacteria would have such an affect and even have a direct line to the brain. If you’re not feeling well and even moody, it could be that your gut area is in distress and colonies of healthy bacteria are dying out.

Here’s the thing about one’s mood, there are many factors that affect it and also leads to obesity.  Sugar, processed foods, stress, anxiety, the environment and so forth has an impact.  If you’re obese, there are things you can and should be doing. Follow the suggestions of Dr. Lori. She knows way more than I do in how diet affects obesity. She’s also an expert in the moods as well. My personal suggestions are to start living a healthy lifestyle that encompasses my Four Pillars… Mindset, Diet, Fitness and Sleep. I would also add environment as well.

Mood is important and food affects it. Gut health affects it. Stress and anxiety affects it. How you feel about yourself affects it. And being obese affects it. And your mood affects all of them as well. Think of it like a spider web. They are interconnected and all need to be addressed. Once you start doing that and bring in the right coach to help you, then you’ll be on your way to having successful fat loss. And onto optimal health as well.

I wish you complete success in conquering obesity.

Cheers,
Bob Choat

Black_belt

“Transformational Master Black Belt” America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness
bobchoat.com | optimallifeseminars.com