People find it hard to deal with obesity stigma rather than obesity itself. This happens when people care more about what others think and how they treat them. But instead, they should focus on themselves and how they can improve themselves. And people need to understand if they support obese people, they can do better to improve themselves and attain the weight they desire. If you suffer from stigma, you can use tips to improve your thinking and how you can cope with the stigma of obesity. Log on to https://bariatricbrooklyn.com/ to learn more about weight loss surgery.
How to deal with the stigma of obesity?
Many people face the stigma of obesity in their everyday lives, especially in the U.S. and other Western countries. They must experience many disadvantages in many areas of life including employment, healthcare, education, and relationships. Obese people who deal with stigma have to go through psychological stress, binge eating, exercise avoidance, and an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. How you see yourself is another factor that determines how a person copes with obesity. Many people care how others see them rather than how they see themselves. According to a 2015 study, when a person is coping with obesity, self-concept and response to social stigma change over time.
So, what matters the most is that people can cope with the stigma of obesity by improving their self-image. Here is what you can do to cope with the stigma of obesity
- Leave the situation
- Use positive self-talk
- Respond positively
- Employ self-acceptance tools
While there are many coping responses that have been found, however, the problem is not enough to use them as strategic techniques that are effective in coping with obesity. What you can do is research some coping responses online and choose a couple of them that you find useful against the stigma of obesity which boosts your self-image of yourself.
Coping techniques
Here is a list of some coping techniques you can try that might help.
- Consult with a psychiatrist or psychologist: They can teach you some techniques on how to deal with depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues.
- Hire a professional weight loss coach: This can help you set realistic goals and teach you how to deal with behavioral issues, and how you can set up healthy eating and physical activity habits.
- Join a support group: You can find support groups in local community centers, hospitals, or schools. These support groups help you overcome the stigma of obesity by sharing common experiences and the way you can deal with this situation.
- Keep a journal to track eating habits: This can help you track how much you eat and how you should avoid your eating triggers or improve your diet to get better results in losing weight.
- Involve other household members in healthy eating habits: This is necessary to get more support from your family members because it can encourage you to take treatment and support you when your negative thoughts affect you.
- Connect with someone who also has a similar weight loss goal: This can help both of you stay motivated and help each other to lose weight together.
- Calling your buddy for moral support: When you have negative thoughts that tempt you to eat junk food, call your friend for moral support to avoid those temptations and continue to work toward weight loss goals.
- Write your negative and stressful thoughts and feelings: It can help you calm down and help you avoid overeating or physical activity. Studies also found that people with obesity who express their stressful feelings to others or write them down can reduce the negative impact that stress has on their lives.
So, instead of worrying about stigma or your failure to stick with your workout schedule, consider what thoughts and feelings may cause you to relapse. Then, talk with a psychiatrist or counselor to make a plan that helps you cope with those bad feelings and negative thoughts.
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