The connection between anger and weight

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Dec 19th 2007 6:57PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation

How do you deal with anger? Do you repress it, or do you let it out? Do you struggle with weight loss? These two questions might seem unrelated but that's not the case, according to this article from Glee Magazine, which alleges that how you deal with anger is crucial to your ability to lose weight. More specifically, those who bottle their anger find it more difficult to lose or maintain their weight because they use food as a way of dealing with their uncomfortable emotions.

I think this idea makes a lot of sense, and can be applied to how someone deals with any type of emotion. Many overeaters are emotional eaters, after all, and tend to binge when emotions get overwhelming. Releasing emotions in an healthy manner is important to overcoming any sort of addictive or bingeing behaviour.

What do you think of this hypothesis?

Source

Comments (13)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

chris 1-01-2008 @ 11:31PM

makes lots of sense. martial arts communities use the fast to find out much about the emotions of the warriors. As of now, I;ve been up for 24 hours, and although I've eaten plenty, taking off helps my body take off and find those aches that show weaknesses (Right now, I'm running a 5:30 miles and training about 3 hard hours a day). When i take that time offf and just drink tea (rooibos Chai from Teavana rocks, its no caffiene to keep you "stimmed" and super huge amount of antioxidents, also good for allegeries and skin). Those essential cooldown periods allow me to keep lower body fat, train very intense cardio when necessary, and still allow for lactic acid reduction (provided I drink lots of water and stretch).

Overall the article hits exacstly where it needs to. It's very short and doesnt suggest anything on how to reduce. Thats up to you people. However, this article makes tons of sense.

Ashley 12-31-2007 @ 6:29AM

It makes me wonder though...
If it's the anger that comes first, or the fact that you have to loose weight.
or in other words...
Are you angry b/c you are fat
or
Fat b/c you are angry?

CARRIE 12-31-2007 @ 8:35AM

THAT IS SO NOT TRUE...... MAYBE IN SOME CASES BUT NOT EVERY ONE IS FAT BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT DEAL WITH THEIR ANGER.. THEY PROBALLY BECOME ANGERY AFTER THE WEIGHT GAIN?????

Marie 12-31-2007 @ 9:26AM

I believe overeating or any addictive behavior is directly related to emotions. People who have stressful lives or have been abused often turn to food. When I was married, I would overeat due to the stress of living with an angry abusive person who could not be rationalized with. I did not due it consciously. However, now that I am out of that relationship, my appetite has returned to normal. You don't ever know what is going on in someone's personal life or what they have been through. Life can be really difficult and stressful. Some people are lucky enough to have it a little easier. Some of us have lost thier father, sister, brother, a child. Or, like me, all of the above. There is also illness or serious injury where a person cannot be physically active in the way they need to. Sometimes the physical appearance of a person is a sure indicator of what they have been through in their lives. Food is an addictive substance which alters body chemistry. Sugar and food additives can make a person feel numb. People who over indulge in food are often dealing with more than they can handle in thier lives and numb themselves with food. It is these people that would not hurt or harm anyone but themselves. When life throws illness, injury, deaths and abuse at you being a little chubby doesn't seem so important anymore.

Dave 12-31-2007 @ 10:50AM

I believe that this theory can be considered true to many situations, although it all boils down to emotional management.

I feel that the world today is too stressful for most people to efficiently deal with, and therefore it is overrun with emotional chaos. Many people are living through life with major issues, thinking that they are fine and never perceiving a problem. Much of this can be dealt with through peer intervention, although people are often not as open with others as they should be; and also, many people are unwilling to properly understand an outside opinion on theirselves.

Simply put, to counteract your negative feelings that would normally lead to overeating you must do a positive activity. For example, before a person were to gain weight, they should due something involving moderate excercise and time to think about their problems. The joy of getting checked out at a health club while becoming healthier yourself can offset many self-hatred issues.

Although, it would be most important to relieve yourself of the negative outside influence, if there is one, before dealing with the problem. Otherwise, you may verywell become discouraged before you even start.

-Dave

Charmaine 12-31-2007 @ 10:58AM

Stress! We all have it in one from or another. Although I am not a heavy person I have been struggling for sometime with cortisol around the tummy. Its embarassing to put your pants on and have an over hang when all the shirts in your closet are fitting! Just this year I realized that all my kept emotions inside were the main cause of all my ailments and stored fat. I began walking and listening to inspirational, motivational self talk through Ellie Drake. I sorted through my mind the things and people that I needed to rid myself from because they were unhealthy for me. Like an on and off again relationship of 6 years! YIKES! It took sometime but well worth it. Now I get up every morning, turn on my christian music, take my regimen of healthy products www.twinow.com/charmaine go for a one hour power walk, exercise on my home machines. Drink a healthy shake for breakfast and start my day! I have never felt better! And everyday, I notice changes! Its great to not have seen someone for a few months and they say, wow you look great and you've lost some weight, what are you doing? I also give thanks to God everyday to give me the strengh and courage to know I can be and do whatever I set my mind to! The mind is a powerful tool we all have. You alone make the choices of what you feed it! Heres a healthy, prosperous new year! God Bless all...www.videoemailglobal.com Reach all YOUR dreams! As my uncle says, go for it, this is not a fress rehearsal.

Lisa 12-31-2007 @ 12:36PM

It doesn't count for everyone though, because some people...er...starve themselves (or they think they're not hungry) when they are angry b/c they are fat.

Don't abuse food :(

Especially when they taste good >.

Courrtnazzle shazle 12-31-2007 @ 3:24PM

fffaaaaattttt

Rebecca 12-31-2007 @ 5:50PM

I may be misunderstanding this article or my own feelings/behaviors but i find this article to be untrue. I have been described by many as an angry person, however I have only recently achieved a healthy weight (I was underweight). Usually when repressing my anger I feel compulsed to run or do something physical (hitting things- but i avoid doing that). I have no desire for food and the thought of eating may make me nauseous.

LisaS 12-31-2007 @ 5:59PM

Sure...now not only can we get away with labeling overweight people as being lazy and gluttonous, we now can label them as being angry or emotionally weak...What a bunch of bunk! I known food addicts who are skinny too!

chris 12-31-2007 @ 6:38PM

means nothing to me, i like my women wit a little extra anyway, Americas perception of beauty is so black & white, if you're not on the cover of a magazine or can squeeze between the crack of a doorway then you're considered fat and i honestly don't see it that way but its all about choice

Fresh 1-01-2008 @ 2:24AM

What ever feelings or emotions you hold can attract the like.

How do you feel about weight/anger?

Eva 1-01-2008 @ 4:14AM

This isn't news. All it's saying is that if you over eat, youre not going to lose any weight. Obviously, people who use food to solve their problems are going to gain weight. But the fact that someone bottles up their anger doesnt mean they use food to take it out on. Yeah, a lot of people eat when they are angry, or stressed out, so obviously, if theyre going to do that all the time, theyre going to gain weight. And people who eat a lot because they're fat are only hurting themselves. If they really cared about losing weight, they would step up and do something about it. This doesnt mean that someone is fat because theyre angry. It means they have a problem and they think that food is going to solve it in their minds. It's common sense.