Most people believe that a fat person is a more satisfied and happy person than one who is lean, thin and starved. An early observation made by Nicholson, a psychologist, suggests that obesity can be represented as a form of neurosis. Following the same line, researchers have emphasized that, unconscious ideas such as “I’m unimportant” or “I’m nobody,” can actually play a major role in obesity.
Alfred Adler, who is considered to be one of the fathers of clinical psychology, coined the term “inferiority complex,” to the accumulation of body fat as a kind of protective armor. It can thereby be asserted that feelings of failures can play a huge role in overeating behavior and obesity which acts a defense mechanism against one’s inferiority complex.
Experts believe that obese people use humor and wit to defend their condition of obesity. This gives rise to the proposed notions of fat people being jolly and contended, thereby concealing the inner confusion. Obese people, experts believe are unconsciously and constantly inflicted by thoughts like “I’m nobody” or “I’m unimportant”.
Experts further explain that this sense of unimportance compels people to catch on to unhealthy eating tendencies. Eventually they begin to overeat or get addicted to food and start gaining weight liberally.
These unimportant feelings and sense of loneliness have led people to become overweight and obese which has eventually made them susceptible to diseases like hypertension, arthritis, etc.
Once the underlying cause of obesity is diagnosed, researchers opine that an obese person should be put on a medical and nutritional guidance to suit specific needs. Counseling is another remedy which experts recommend for the obese to overcome their lowly thoughts about themselves which can improve health, lifestyle and eating habits.
