Book Review: Weight, Diet & Body Image

When is the last time you were at an event that did not involve food? Perhaps it was a Monday morning committee meeting or church activity on Thursday night. Because food is such a prevalent part of our culture and it’s rare to have any kind of event where food is not served, it’s no surprise that this has become a problem – and even an addiction – for many people. And what makes it more of a challenge is that it’s an acceptable addiction. If someone has four pieces of pizza at lunch, it’s something people might laugh at or relate to but if somebody has four shots of alcohol during the day, it’s not so funny anymore. So food is the acceptable addiction. In Weight, Diet and Body Image, Edward Abramson addresses this problem in our culture. There are obviously a number of negative consequences for people with weight challenges including depression, lowered self-esteem, and avoiding physical activity which is why this is also a mental health problem. But weight loss is unfortunately not as simple as eating less and exercising more. As Abramson notes, it is a “complex interaction of many genetic, physiological, and environmental variables”. Understanding that it is a complex issue can help reduce the stigma many clients feel. Our culture and environment play a significant role in this problem. We have the data on how portion sizes have increased over the years and see that our norm is just eating more than we used to. We also respond ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Addictions Binge Eating Book Reviews Diet & Nutrition Eating Disorders Psychology Weight Loss Body Image edward abramson healthy eating Obesity weight management Source Type: news