Fear of weight gain – The telltale signs

Like all phobias, obesophobia is a form of anxiety disorder. A phobia involves an intense and irrational fear of a particular object, place, or situation.

If you have agoraphobia, talking or thinking about weight gain can make you feel extremely anxious. You may also feel intimidated by situations that involve weight gain, such as near weight gain.

If you are afraid of gaining weight, you can try to stay away from it. This increases your risk of developing an eating disorder, or it could be a sign that you have one.

Read on to learn about the symptoms and causes of this phobia, as well as treatment options.

Obesophobia has no obvious cause. It can be due to a number of factors, including:

Weight Stigma: Weight stigma is the practice of judging people based on their weight. It’s an important part of modern Western society, which often celebrates thinness.

Some people may also experience weight stigma due to other environmental factors, such as family expectations or peer pressure.

Weight stigma often discriminates against people who are overweight or obese. As a result, it may cause some people to develop a fear of weight gain.

Perfectionism: In a culture that idealizes thinness, weight gain is seen as a defect. This can cause phobias, especially in people with high need for perfection.

Perfectionism, like weightism, can involve pressure from friends and family. Some individuals may also have a genetic predisposition to perfectionism.

Anxiety disorders: Other types of anxiety disorders can contribute to agoraphobia. For example, agoraphobia could stem from social anxiety disorder, which involves a fear of social rejection. You may be afraid of gaining weight because of society’s views on weight gain.

– Personal Experience: The phobia may be due to your personal experience. If you are teased about your weight or your appearance, you can associate weight gain with a negative perception. This can make you afraid of gaining weight.

The symptoms of agoraphobia are related to negative emotions when thinking or talking about weight gain. They may include:

– an intense, overwhelming fear

– worry

– stress

– panic attacks

– High Blood Pressure

– dizzy

You may also have these feelings with weight gain or in situations that involve weight gain, such as social events with food.

Obesophobia can also cause you to do certain things to avoid weight gain, such as:

– fast

– obsessively counting calories

– too much exercise

– regular diet

The main complication of agoraphobia is an unhealthy obsession with body weight and food. This increases the risk of developing an eating disorder, which is a serious condition characterized by risky eating behaviors.

Several types of eating disorders are associated with agoraphobia. Including:

1. Anorexia nervosa

People with anorexia nervosa have a fear of gaining weight. They may also think they are overweight, even if they are unusually underweight.

Along with obesophobia, common symptoms include:

– extremely skinny

– distorted body image

– obsession with weight and body shape

– extremely limited amount of food

– excessive exercise

– use of laxatives or diuretics

– try to vomit

But anorexia nervosa is not simply related to food or weight problems. For people with this condition, extreme dieting and weight loss are ways to deal with underlying emotional problems.

Due to severe calorie deficit, anorexia nervosa can lead to serious complications such as muscle weakness and multiple organ failure.

2. Bulimia nervosa: Neurogenic Bulimia associated with recurrent episodes of eating and drinking. Eating a lot of food in a short time, often uncontrollably. Purging is getting rid of excess calories by one or more unhealthy behaviors, such as:

– try to vomit

– excessive exercise

– use of laxatives or diuretics

– fast

These behaviors are related to obesophobia. Other bulimia symptoms include:

– harsh criticisms of one’s weight and body shape

– intense mood swings

– hide food to drink alcohol

– worry about food

– avoid situations involving food

A person with bulimia may be slightly underweight, underweight, or overweight.

3. Purification disorder

Obesophobia can lead to purging disorder, which involves purging without nausea. Purging episodes, which recur, may involve:

– forced vomiting

– excessive exercise

– use of laxatives or diuretics

– fast

In many cases, these behaviors are performed to control body weight and shape.

If agoraphobia is affecting your daily life, you should speak to a medical professional. See your doctor if you have the following symptoms:

– intense anxiety at the thought of gaining weight

– obsession with weight loss

– regular diet

– avoid social activities with food

– negative body image

You should also seek medical help if you:

– eat less

– obsessively counting calories

– too much exercise

– intentionally vomiting

These symptoms may indicate that bulimia has led to an eating disorder.

There is no official test that diagnoses weight gain. However, as an anxiety disorder, phobias can be identified by a GP or mental health provider.

To determine if you have a phobia, the provider will conduct a psychological evaluation. They can too:

– ask questions about your symptoms

– rate your eating behavior

– analyze your medical, psychiatric and social history

If they think you have an eating disorder or believe you are at risk, they will likely recommend treatment.

How to treat obesophobia?

Obesophobia is primarily treated by a mental health provider. The goal is to manage your fear of gaining weight and reduce your risk of developing an eating disorder.

If your phobia is part of a diagnosed eating disorder, treatment may involve a similar approach.

Psychotherapy

In psychotherapy, you talk to a mental health professional over several sessions. They can help you reduce anxiety about weight gain and improve your body image.

The most common method is cognitive behavioral therapy. This may be related to:

– recognize distorted thought patterns

– change unhealthy beliefs

– learn positive habits

– Medicine

Usually, agoraphobia is not treated with medication. But if your doctor thinks your phobia is related to an anxiety disorder, he or she may prescribe an anti-anxiety medication. This may include:

– Antidepressants

– antipsychotic drugs

– stabilize mood

Because anxiety and eating disorders often co-occur, you may also receive medication if you’ve been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

If you have agoraphobia, you can try to avoid weight gain through unhealthy behaviors. This may include over-exercising, restricting your intake, or regularly going on a diet.

Since agoraphobia is closely related to eating disorders, it is important that you get medical help if you think you have a phobia.

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