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The Psychological Benefits of Weight Loss

Introduction

Researchers have investigated the impacts on weight loss on people who were previously

overweight based on the physiological benefits. However, they have ignored the fact that weight

loss also comes with psychological benefits. These benefits revolve around the emotional and

mental aspects of a human being. It is, therefore, a significant research gap that requires a

considerable degree of attention. Weight loss not only leads to physiological wellbeing but also

improves psychological outcomes, such as enhanced self-esteem, improved quality of life,

reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced body image.

Research Questions

The fundamental research questions regarding the psychological benefits of weight loss

include the following:

 How does weight loss affect an individual's quality of life and body image?

 How does weight loss enhance an individual’s body image?

 How does weight loss improve an individual’s self-esteem?

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 What life practices and adjustments can an individual make to achieve substantial

weight loss?

Weight Loss and Self-Esteem

Weight loss has been closely linked to a shift and improvement in self-esteem. Self-

esteem refers to a person's feeling of worth and value, not only to oneself but to society as well.

Self-esteem is usually a personal trait that influences the kind of decisions an individual tends to

make. It serves as a motivational factor in the individual's life, which affects how one views and

treats oneself. Overweight and obese people have been reported to have low self-esteem. This is

generally attributed to the societal perception that being overweight is unattractive and unhealthy

(Brechan & Ingela 52). Unfortunately, this message is often delivered under uncontrolled

environments, particularly on social media platforms, causing many to begin to associate their

beauty and attractiveness based on how much they weigh. This trend eventually leads to low

self-esteem among those who perceive themselves as belonging to the category classified as

overweight.

It is vital to note that the loss of self-esteem affects their decisions on how they should

care for and treat their bodies, which make them gain more weight as a result. However, an

improvement in a person's self-esteem and feeling of self-worth is a temporary side effect

associated with weight loss (Brechan & Ingela 56). This is especially true for individuals who

tend to view their attractiveness based on how much they weigh or how big their waistlines are.

Substantial weight loss helps the individual conform to the global standards of what a healthy

and beautiful person should look like (Brechan & Ingela 57). Therefore, increasing the

individual's confidence in associating with other people and interacting with them in the way he
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or she could not do before. This feeling also acts as a motivator to keep the weight off by eating

right and exercising as needed. However, the feeling does not last over the long-term because the

individual is required to build up their self-worth based on the values and principles they choose

to set for themselves. Lacking to do this may lead the individual back into the bad habits that

caused the weight gain in the first place.

Weight Loss and Depression

Several depressive symptoms may affect an individual struggling with excessive weight.

Some of these symptoms include fatigue, sleeping problems, loss of interest, anxiety,

hopelessness, constant mood swings, and irritability (Ratcliffe & Nell 245). The symptoms of

despair, anxiety, and irritability are a result of the stigma and shame associated with obesity in

society while the depressive symptoms of fatigue and insomnia are linked to the physiological

effects that excessive weight gain has on the body, such as a lowered metabolism rate and

imbalanced hormones.

Research shows that the loss of weight has a significant effect on depressive symptoms,

especially those linked to mood. Engaging in physical activity and eating the right kind of food

has been shown to help in reducing weight and balancing out hormones responsible for

depressive symptoms, especially in women. The subsequent weight loss will further have

benefits on the person's overall mental and emotional health. This, coupled with the efforts to

lose weight, helps in alleviating most of the depressive symptoms that may have resulted from a

feeling of hopelessness and social awkwardness due to weight gain.

However, it is essential to note that some of the depressive symptoms, such as

hopelessness, irritability, and loss of interest, can be associated with the individual's self-esteem
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(Ratcliffe & Nell 251). Therefore, with the decline in weight, some of these symptoms tend to

decrease or disappear altogether. This is because the individual has a sense of renewed hope and

interest in managing their health and weight as well as they possibly can.

Weight Loss and Body Image

Body image refers to the outlook an individual has on their physical body. It also refers to

the feelings and thoughts formed as a result of this perception. These thoughts and opinions are

majorly dependent on the individuals' principles and environment and can either be negative or

positive. Body image focuses on two significant aspects (Duarte et al.). The first is the person's

mental picture of his or her physical body, such as appearance, shape, and size. The second

aspect is the individual's attitude toward his body, which may be positive or negative feelings.

Individuals dealing with excessive weight gain tend to have a negative body image. In

their minds, their bodies are unattractive and obscenely large, which inevitably translates into

them feeling inadequate (Tylka & Nichole 124). The view of one's body image is majorly

propagated by two factors, personal beliefs, and societal opinion. The society has made it clear

that individuals categorized as overweight and obese are not attractive.

Therefore, weight loss can help in the formation of a positive body image. When an

individual loses weight, they come closer to conforming to the society's standards of

attractiveness (Duarte et al.). This acts as a significant emotional booster, especially since the

person's friends and family members may begin to notice the individual's attractiveness after the

substantial shedding in the weight. The weight loss also plays a significant role in creating a

different and positive mental picture for the individual, which inevitably causes a positive effect

on their feeling and thoughts on their bodies.

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Weight Loss and Quality of Life

Quality of life refers to the general satisfaction levels an individual may have with the

different aspects of life. Some of these aspects may are physical health, mental health, the

standard of living, family, friends, and stress. Various factors may affect an individual's quality

of life, and they could be physical or emotional factors (Toma et al. 3337). Weight is a physical

factor that tends to influence an individual's level of satisfaction with life.

For people struggling with excessive weight, their quality of life tends to be much lower

than for the average person. This is majorly due to the physical limitations accompanied by

weight gains, such as limited physical activity and socialization. The weight also harms the

individual's mental health and social relationships due to the negative body image and low self-

esteem.

Losing weight will help improve an individual’s quality of life significantly. This will be

as a result of having better health and mobility. The individual would be able to engage in

activities that may have been difficult to do, especially as pertains to physical activity. Secondly,

the emotional and mental aspects also change significantly, since the person's feeling of self-

worth ten to increase as well (Toma et al. 3341). Thirdly, since the individual feels more

attractive and has conformed to the societal beliefs on what a healthy person should look like, the

individual can take part in more social activities and gatherings without the fear of stigma.

Lastly, the individual may feel more energetic and more inclined to engage in more commercial

activities, hence significantly changing their standard of living.

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Losing Weight

There are many techniques, and strategies individuals can pursue to lose weight. The

most common method advocated for by most professional is a physical activity (Mason et al.

90). These techniques include taking brisk walks, choosing to use the stairs instead of the lift,

dancing, and playing (Ten et al. 6). All these activities help in using up the body's fat reserves,

helping the individual to lose weight.

Secondly, people can lose weight by avoiding junk food such as soft drinks, biscuits,

cakes, processed food items as well as any fast foods and sugar-filled foods. Eating the right diet

ensures that the body takes in all the needed nutrients (Mason et al. 89). According to

professionals, a proper diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy fats. Eating

these kinds of foods not only assists in weight loss efforts but also help in making the

individual's overall health much better, hence bettering their quality of life

Thirdly, the individual could make use of the various diet plans that are available on

social media and the internet. Some of the most common diet plans that tend to yield results

dependent on the individual include the calorie intake diet. In this plan, the individual counts the

number of calories consumed during the day. However, when the individual gets to the required

amount, they are expected to stop eating until the next day (Mason et al. 91). Secondly, there is

the no-carbs diet. This one encourages the people doing it to avoid eating any form of

carbohydrates regardless of whether it is healthy and organic. Lastly, is the intermittent fasting

plan, where the people following it are expected to fast for a while, and then have a small eating

window. The idea behind this is that since the individual has minimal time to eat, he or she is

less likely to eat a lot of calories hence assisting in the weight loss agenda.
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Conclusion

The subject of weight and its psychological impacts has always been a subject under

scrutiny in the past few years. However, it is evident that weight loss not only comes with

physiological benefits but also psychological benefits. People who lose weight tend to have

enhanced self-esteem from the improved body image and self-perception. These people are also

likely to experience less depressive symptoms since they are less susceptible to societal ridicule

and bullying. Additionally, weight loss leads to an overall improvement in the quality of life,

including fewer disease prevalence and an improved sense of self-satisfaction. It is important to

note that the societal view plays a significant role in affecting a person's psychology, which is

why so many people tend to lose weight. However, for the positive effects to last, the individual

needs to learn how to influence their psychological health, without basing it on the environment.
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Works Cited

Brechan, Inge, and Ingela Lundin Kvalem. "Relationship between body dissatisfaction and

disordered eating: Mediating role of self-esteem and depression." Eating behaviours 17

(2015): 49-58.

Duarte, Cristiana, et al. "The impact of shame, self-criticism and social rank on eating

behaviours in overweight and obese women participating in a weight management

programme." PloS one 12.1 (2017): e0167571.

Jane, Monica, et al. "Psychological effects of belonging to a Facebook weight management

group in overweight and obese adults: Results of a randomised controlled trial." Health &

social care in the community 26.5 (2018): 714-724.

Mason, Ashley E., et al. "Reduced reward-driven eating accounts for the impact of a

mindfulness-based diet and exercise intervention on weight loss: Data from the SHINE

randomized controlled trial." Appetite 100 (2016): 86-93.

Ratcliffe, Denise, and Nell Ellison. "Obesity and internalized weight stigma: A formulation

model for an emerging psychological problem." Behavioural and cognitive

psychotherapy 43.2 (2015): 239-252.

Ten Hoor, Gill A., et al. "A new direction in Psychology and Health: Resistance exercise training

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Toma, Tania, et al. "Does body contouring after bariatric weight loss enhance the quality of life?

A systematic review of QOL studies." Obesity surgery 28.10 (2018): 3333-3341.

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Tylka, Tracy L., and Nichole L. Wood-Barcalow. "What is and what is not a positive body

image? Conceptual foundations and construct definition." Body image 14 (2015): 118-

129.