Do Emotions Keep You From Reaching Your Weight Loss Goals?

When you want to lose weight, you often focus on your factors that affect your physical wellbeing, such as diet and exercise, but according to a new survey of psychologists, perhaps you should focus on your emotional wellness if permanent weight loss is your goal.

The Consumer Reports National Research Centre, who conducted the survey, asked over 1300 licensed psychologists how they dealt with clients’ weight and weight loss challenges. 44% of the psychologists asserted that ‘understanding and managing the behaviours and emotions related to weight management’ was essential for addressing weight loss with their clients. 43% saw ‘emotional eating’ as a weight loss barrier, and all generally indicated that emotional and behavioural control go hand-in-hand when it comes to successful weight loss.

Of the 306 respondents, 92% had to help a client ‘address underlying emotional issues related to weight gain’, 70% of whom used advised using cognitive therapy, problem-solving and mindfulness. The survey results also indicated that motivational strategies, such as setting goals and keeping behavioural records were key to weight loss and weight management for the psychologists’ clients. Cognitive therapy, in particular, was used to help people identify and address negative thoughts and emotions which led to unhealthy behaviours and clients were encouraged to use mindfulness in order to allow thoughts and emotions to come and go without judging them, and instead concentrate on being aware of the moment.

According to Norman B. Anderson, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, ‘Anyone who has ever tried to lose a few pounds and keep them off knows that doing so isn’t easy. The good news is that research and clinical experience have shown that, in addition to behavioural approaches, cognitive behavioural therapy that targets emotional barriers helps people lose weight’.

Anderson concluded, ‘Although it is generally accepted that weight problems are most often caused by a combination of biological, emotional, behavioural and environmental issues, these new results show the key role of stress and emotional regulation in losing weight. Therefore, the best weight loss tactics should integrate strategies to address emotion and behaviour as well as lifestyle approaches to exercise and making healthy eating choices.’