TeamFLEX Newsletter

Weight Loss Spotlight

Weight Loss & Mental Health

Anybody who has ever been over weight is well familiar with the negative effect it has on your self-esteem and mental health.

Unfortunately we are living in a time and a society that are not very acceptable when it comes to overweight people. People are being discriminated against daily because of their weight. People lose their jobs because of their weight problem or the way they look. Others get turned down for jobs because they are obese. The world is very cold hearted when it comes down to accepting overweight people the way they are.

We have created a world where media at a very early age already puts pictures in young children's and teenagers mind that skinny is right and fat is wrong. Girls as young as 8 years old are worried that they look too fat in a dress. Kids are called names and are being harassed because of their weight already in kinder garden.

The result of this is a whole new group of eating disorders that has begun to surface with the new generation of youth.

The mental health aspects of being over weight is far more influential in young individuals and teenagers then in adults although being starred at because of the way you look is not a positive experience for anybody.

With the pop industry and fashion industry bombarding us with underweight models on billboards, in commercials and the music videos, it is fairly easy to understand how a young girl can feel inadequate, fat and not good enough when comparing herself to these images.

What starts as a comment from classmates about a few extra pounds can lead to a severe case of anorexia nervosa or bulimia for any teenager if there isn't enough positive support like family and friends around. Being overweight is a vicious cycle starting with the weight problem, the depression that brings on the comfort eating that leads to more weight gain that only makes the person more depressed. It's a hard cycle to break on your own and especially if has its base on a genetic level.

Being overweight makes it hard to be accepted in society but the even bigger problem is the health risk obese people are facing. Obesity is a growing epidemic in this country and we have yet to find a cure for it. Just dieting alone won't solve the underlying confidence problems, disturbing self image, and poor mental health are what many teenagers struggle with.

The best weapon in the battle to lose weight is knowledge. The more knowledge you have about nutrition and your own body, the better you will take care of your children's food habits when they grow up. A child's eating habits start at an early age and they are influenced by the role models around them when they grow up. Kids also learn to eat whatever you eat. In other words if you eat a lot of junk food at home, your child might already be a junk food eater at age 5 and he or she never made that choice.

Exercising not only helps you lose weight but while you exercise "happy hormones" are being released into your blood stream, called endorphins which will make you feel better about yourself and see things more positively around you. The feeling of well-being that working out gives you, could act as natural anti depressant for your mind and body. Anybody who has been exercising for a while is aware of how much better you feel after your workout even though you weren't really in the mood to workout in the first place? That sort of good feeling you experience after the workout, are the happy hormones kicking in.

Women more so then men seem to be on a lifelong diet. Watching what you eat becomes a normal way of living if you have ever struggled with your weight. It is just amazing to see how a woman can blossom into a whole new person when unwanted pounds are disappearing. The confidence is going up in the same speed as the weight is coming off. Sometimes, going to a gym can be a little overwhelming for beginners. The aerobics classes are an excellent alternative to individual fitness programs if you need a little extra support and you also make new friends.

The group exercises provide mental support for participants as well as motivation to show up every time and it's always easier to start losing weight if you realize that you are not alone in this fight.

Another option that has proven successful in weight loss programs is working one on one with a personal trainer that can listen to you, answer your questions and keep your motivation up.