Improving Obesity Treatment And Prevention Through The Lens Of Critical Health Psychology

The NHS website suggests that obesity treatments should focus primarily on diet, exercise, medication, or surgery, without considering psychological evaluation or therapy as part of the treatment plan (Obesity, 2017). This approach is somewhat outdated, as research has increasingly shown that many individuals with obesity also struggle with mental health conditions. This can be seen in studies showing that individuals with obesity, particularly women and those with severe cases, are more likely to experience depression and anxiety (Lavallee et al., 2021). From this we can see that there is an existing need for holistic approaches that address both the physical and psychological dimensions of obesity.

The relationship between obesity and mental health disorders is very complex and multidimensional. Research comparing psychiatric outpatients to the general population found higher obesity rates among those with mental health issues, although the link wasn’t directly caused by psychiatric illness itself but by overlapping demographic factors like age, gender, and chronic illnesses (de Las Cuevas et al., 2011; Lavallee et al., 2021). This indicates that treating obesity requires more than addressing physical symptoms; it also involves understanding the individual’s broader mental and social context.

Critical Health Psychology challenges the traditional medical approach to obesity, which often views the condition alone and separate from broader social, cultural, and psychological factors. The critical approach rejects the idea that individuals are fixed “objects” to be treated with standardized interventions like diets or surgery. Instead, it recognizes that people’s experiences of health and illness are shaped by their environments, social relationships, and cultural backgrounds (Chamberlain and Murray, 2009). For example, someone may become obese due to a shift in their social conditions, such as increased stress from a job change, financial pressures, or cultural influences on their diet. This perspective emphasizes that obesity is not simply the result of poor lifestyle choices, but can be deeply intertwined with mental health and social circumstances.

Addressing obesity requires more than just recommending diets and exercise or choosing to go instead for surgical intervention. Many individuals who undergo bariatric surgery regain the weight because their mental health struggles are never addressed. Studies show that suboptimal weight loss, defined as failing to achieve 40%-60% of baseline excess weight loss after surgery, occurs in 11%-22% of patients, and weight regain is even more common (Noria et al., 2023). This highlights the importance of integrating psychological therapy into obesity treatment, targeting emotional and mental health issues that contribute to overeating, be it from an addiction or to cope with life situations.

In conclusion, the NHS should consider adopting a more comprehensive and Critical health psychology perspective when it comes to obesity treatment. By incorporating psychological evaluations and therapy alongside traditional medical interventions, health professionals can better address the underlying mental health issues often associated with obesity. This aligns with Critical Health Psychology's perspective, which advocates for treatments that acknowledge the complex, socially constructed, and multifaceted nature of health, ultimately leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes for patients.

References

Chamberlain, K., & Murray, M. (2009). Critical health psychology. In D. Fox, I. Prilleltensky, & S. Austin (Eds.), Critical psychology: An introduction (2nd ed., pp. 144–158). Sage Publications Ltd.

De Las Cuevas, C., Ramallo, Y., & Sanz, E. J. (2011). ¿Están relacionadas la obesidad y otras comorbilidades físicas con la enfermedad mental? Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, 4(3), 119–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpsm.2011.02.004

Lavallee, K. L., Zhang, X. C., Schneider, S., & Margraf, J. (2021). Obesity and Mental Health: A Longitudinal, Cross-Cultural Examination in Germany and China. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 712567. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712567

Obesity. (2017, November 23). Nhs.Uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/

Noria, S. F., Shelby, R. D., Atkins, K. D., Nguyen, N. T., & Gadde, K. M. (2023). Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery: Scope of the Problem, Causes, Prevention, and Treatment. Current Diabetes Reports, 23(3), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-023-01498-z

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