Many people worry about gaining weight. But for some, this fear is much more intense. It’s so strong that it controls their lives. This extreme fear has a name: obesophobia. It means being very afraid of getting fat.
Here, we’ll talk about what is the fear of becoming fat called and dive deep into understanding obesophobia.
I’m Dr. David D. Burns, with years of experience in psychiatry, including time at Stanford University School of Medicine and as a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School. I’ve helped many understand and overcome their fears using simple yet effective methods.
This article will share insights into obesophobia—from symptoms to treatment options—using clear terms anyone can grasp.
Ready to learn more? Let’s start!
Defining Obesophobia
Obesophobia is the intense fear of gaining weight. It stands apart from other eating disorders because it focuses mainly on this fear rather than food or eating habits.
Explanation of Obesophobia
Obesophobia, also known as pocrescophobia, is identified as the fear of gaining weight. Individuals with this fear take extensive measures to avert weight gain — they might abstain from meals or indulge in extreme physical activities.
This fear can affect anyone, irrespective of their age or gender. It is distinct from eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia as it primarily concentrates on the dread of becoming obese, rather than only attaining slimness.
“Fear is the mind-killer.” This quote exemplifies how potent a person’s fear can be, even when directed at weight gain. After gaining insights into obesophobia, we transition to discussing its symptoms.
These manifestations are noticeable both in an individual’s behavior and their internal feelings about food and body perception.
Distinction from other eating disorders
Having comprehended what Obesophobia entails, it’s essential to recognize how it differentiates from other nutritional disorders. This apprehension of increasing weight transcends concerns about dieting and working out.
It is classified as a specific phobia under DSM-5. Contrasting conditions such as binge eating or anorexia nervosa, where individuals might overeat or undereat, those afflicted with Obesophobia have a profound fear of weight gain.
They may excessively monitor their calorie intake or completely abstain from eating.
During my tenure assisting patients at Stanford, I encountered individuals grappling with this profound fear. Their experiences enlightened me that Obesophobia could exhibit symptoms similar to bulimia nervosa – like anxiety about body image – yet its foundation is grounded in the dread of becoming overweight, rather than mere dissatisfaction with one’s current body size.
Symptoms of Obesophobia
People with obesophobia show signs that are easy to see. They might worry a lot about gaining weight and change how they eat.
Psychological symptoms
People with obesophobia often feel very scared or nervous. They might panic when they see high-calorie foods. Or, they worry a lot if they can’t work out. Many have bad dreams about getting fat.
These fears make them feel bad about themselves.
I once talked to someone who felt this way. Every time before stepping on the scale, their heart raced and palms sweated from fear of seeing a higher number. It’s like facing a scary monster for them—very real and terrifying.
This shows how deep the fear goes, hurting how they see themselves and feel inside.
Behavioral symptoms
Moving from how Obesophobia affects the mind, let’s look at actions it drives. People with this fear might count calories all the time and work out too much. They often say no to parties where food will be because they don’t want to eat in front of others.
Many check their weight often.
They may also use things like laxatives wrongly and watch how many calories they burn very closely. Some eat very little food and stay away from friends or family. These actions show a big worry about getting fat that takes over their daily lives.
I’ve seen this happen in my practice many times. It’s tough but not impossible to face and change these habits with the right help.
Causes of Obesophobia
People’s minds and the world around them can lead to obesophobia. Thoughts of fear and being judged, along with ads showing “perfect” bodies, play big roles.
Psychological factors
Concerns about weight gain can influence our thoughts and emotions. This apprehension might originate within ourselves. Factors such as stress, low self-esteem, and body-related anxiety significantly contribute.
Intense concerns about body weight can escalate into larger mental health issues. Women frequently express more concerns about weight gain than men.
Unpleasant encounters and societal pressures contribute further to this apprehension. I recall assisting patients who felt scrutinized due to their weight. They held fears of further weight gain or potential obesity.
This led them to experience significant anxiety and sadness. We utilized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy to assist them in addressing these fears. These interventions enabled them to reinterpret their concerns and adopt healthier habits.
Cultural and social influences
Many people in the U.S. feel bad about their weight because of what they see and hear around them. Ads, TV shows, and social media often show thin people as beautiful or successful.
This makes others think they need to be thin too. It’s called weight stigma, and it happens a lot in America. When someone is afraid of getting fat, we say they have obesophobia. Society and culture play a big part in making this fear worse.
Society shapes our views on beauty and health in powerful ways.
Next, let’s talk about how doctors figure out if someone has obesophobia.
Diagnosis of Obesophobia
To find out if someone has Obesophobia, doctors look for specific signs. They use tools like surveys and health exams to learn more.
Criteria for diagnosis
Doctors look for certain signs to diagnose obesophobia. They check if the fear of gaining weight has been there for at least six months. This fear must be very strong and cause problems in daily life, like avoiding meals or social events.
The worry about weight gain is much bigger than the real risk.
Health professionals use special tools to understand this fear better. These include talking to patients about how they feel and think about food and their body. They also might ask them to fill out questionnaires that measure anxiety levels around gaining weight.
I know from my years helping people as a psychiatrist that these steps are key in finding out if someone has obesophobia. It’s important because it helps decide the best way to help them.
Tools and assessments used
To find out if someone has obesophobia, doctors use different tools and assessments. They look at the person’s feelings, actions, and health history.
- Interviews: Doctors talk to patients. They ask about their fears and how they act around food.
- Psychological tests: These are quizzes that check thoughts about weight and body shape.
- Health exams: A doctor checks the patient’s health to see if there are other issues.
- Food diaries: Patients write down what they eat. This helps doctors see patterns.
- Anxiety scales: These tests measure how much worry a person feels.
- Body image surveys: These ask questions about how people see their own bodies.
- Checklists for symptoms of eating disorders: Doctors use these lists to spot signs of trouble with eating.
Next, we will learn how doctors decide if someone has obesophobia.
Treatment Options for Obesophobia
Doctors often use talking treatments and certain medicines to help with obesophobia. Talking treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy help people change how they think and act about their fear of gaining weight.
Medicines can calm the mind if the fear gets too strong.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people with obesophobia. It looks at negative thoughts about weight and tries to change them. This therapy is good for treating binge eating and is a top choice for those worried about obesity.
Even though CBT may not always lead to weight loss, it teaches how to handle bad thoughts linked to gaining weight.
I learned this approach when fighting my own fear of gaining weight. We used traditional CBT and enhanced CBT, along with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). These methods helped me see my worries in a new light.
Now, I know how to face these fears without letting them control me.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy helps people face their fears safely. It’s used for many anxiety disorders, including the fear of gaining weight. This method slowly lets a person deal with what scares them in a controlled way.
They start by imagining the fear then facing it in real life step by step. This can decrease their scared feelings and eating problems.
Facing your fears in small steps can make them less scary over time.
Doctors use different tools to measure how well this therapy works. They look at changes in how much someone’s fear affects their eating and daily activities. Next up, let’s talk about medications that can help too.
Medications
After talking about exposure therapy, we need to discuss another way to help people with obesophobia: using medicine. Doctors do not usually give medicine for this fear alone. But if someone has other worries or health problems because of it, they might get some meds.
Doctors may suggest pills that calm you down or make you feel less sad if your fear makes daily life hard. These could be anti-anxiety drugs, happy mood pills, or medicines that keep your heart from racing.
If a doctor thinks these can help with your stress or other symptoms related to being scared of gaining weight, they will tell you about them. This way, managing how you feel becomes easier while working on overcoming your fear.
Coping Strategies
To handle the fear of getting fat, making positive changes in your daily life helps. Building a support system of friends and family is key.
Lifestyle changes
Making small changes in your daily life can help you cope with obesophobia. Start by setting up a routine that includes regular exercise. You don’t have to run marathons. Simple activities like walking or swimming are good.
Eating healthy is also key. Choose fruits, veggies, and whole grains more often.
Taking one step at a time makes the journey easier.
Find ways to relax and lower stress too. This could mean doing yoga, reading, or spending time with friends who make you feel good about yourself. These actions support both your mental and physical health, making fears less powerful over time.
Support networks
After making changes to your life, looking for people who understand what you’re going through can make a big difference. Support networks are groups or friends that help you deal with fears and anxiety.
They understand because they have been there too.
Being part of a support group helps you feel less alone. You learn new ways to handle stress and fear of fat. These groups often share tips on how to stay at a healthy weight without feeling scared all the time.
For someone like me, who has spent years helping people with their mental health, I’ve seen how powerful it can be. In workshops and therapy sessions, seeing people support each other reminds us we’re not fighting alone.
Support networks also teach coping strategies that manage the stigma of being overweight or having obesophobia—the fear of gaining weight. Research shows these strategies are needed but not well-studied yet.
Joining these groups teaches more than just avoiding emotional eating; it builds friendships based on understanding and common struggles.
Understanding the Impact of Obesophobia
Obesophobia affects lives deeply. It can harm how someone feels in their friendships and at home. This fear makes health worse too, as it messes with how a person eats and takes care of themselves.
On personal relationships
People with obesophobia often pull away from friends and family. They fear being judged for their eating habits or body shape. This fear makes them avoid social events where food is involved.
It can be hard to keep close friends when you skip many gatherings.
This avoidance hurts how they connect with others. They may feel lonely and not understood by those around them. Their relationships suffer because of the constant stress over weight and food.
Friends might not know why they are staying away, which leads to misunderstandings.
On overall health
Obesophobia can hurt your health in big ways. It can make you eat less than you need, leading to not enough nutrients for your body. This means you might get malnutrition or have a very weak heart.
Your blood pressure could be too low and bones might not be strong enough because they don’t get what they need to grow healthy.
Treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy helps fix these issues by changing how you think about weight and food. They teach you better ways to deal with stress that don’t involve eating habits.
Working with doctors and other care providers is key to getting better both in mind and body, making sure obesophobia does not control your life.
Conclusion
Understanding obesophobia sheds light on a real fear. This worry about gaining weight affects many people deeply. Through learning, we see that therapy and support can truly help. Making small changes in life also plays a big role in coping with this fear.
Let’s keep talking and supporting each other to tackle fears like these together.
For more in-depth insights on the fears that grip us, visit our detailed article Understanding Our Deepest Fears.
FAQs
1. What is the fear of becoming fat called?
The fear of gaining weight or becoming overweight is known as Obesophobia. It’s a type of anxiety disorder where individuals have an irrational and overwhelming fear of gaining weight.
2. Who are more likely to develop obesophobia?
People with low body weight, those who have had another eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, or people who think a lot about their body mass index may be more likely to develop obesophobia.
3. How does obesophobia affect a person’s lifestyle?
Obesophobia can cause restrictive eating patterns, stress eating, and even disordered eating behaviors like binge eating followed by purging. It can also contribute to body image issues and create an unhealthy relationship with food.
4. What are some signs and symptoms of obesophobia?
Some physical symptoms include fatigue from not eating enough and vomiting due to forced purging after meals. Mental signs could be constant worry about gaining weight or getting fat, compulsive behavior around controlling one’s diet, and excessive concern over body shape.
5. Can professional help treat obesophobia?
Yes! Health care providers such as psychologists or other mental health professionals offer treatments for this condition using psychotherapy methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy, desensitization techniques etc., that can help manage your fears effectively.
6. Is there any way I can prevent developing obesophobia?
Maintaining a healthy diet along with regular exercise helps maintain control over your weight in a positive way which could prevent the onset of this phobia. Moreover, having well-being discussions about body image disturbance without discrimination might also reduce the risk.