9781422288450

Women and young people, however, report varying degrees of distress, rang- ing from feeling self-conscious or unattractive to feeling downright rejected or suicidal. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health , teens do not even have to be overweight to contemplate suicide because of their body image—they only have to believe that they are obese. This study included 14,000 high school students, and suicidal thoughts were found to be the same in both boys and girls.

Neurochemical and Genetic Components

Americans are slowly, very slowly, catching on that many social stigmas attached to obesity only reveal misinformation and ignorance. People who are over- weight or obese are not necessarily lazy or undisci-

plined, and they certainly aren’t stupid. Yes, lifestyle choices (food selection and activity level) can cause excess weight in some people, but they aren’t the cause for everyone. Some people are just wired to be a larger size. More and more evidence suggests that biochemical and genetic components play a greater role in being overweight than traditionally believed. Obesity is a complex condition, and it varies from individual to individ- ual. Some people can attain a healthier weight by cutting down on certain foods and getting more exercise. For this population, diet and exercise are proper interventions because they work. But there are also many overweight people whose bodies do not respond to such seemingly logical approaches. (We all know someone who has diligently tried to lose weight, experienced limited success, and then just gained it back again.) Why can some people succeed with diet and exercise while other people fail? The answer may be in the genetic code. Evidence from twin, adoption, and family studies strongly suggests famil- ial similarities in maintaining body weight. Putting on the pounds is often

Weighing on Your Mind: The Psychological Impact / 85