How Emotions Affect Weight Loss

Losing weight is not only a matter of eating less and exercising more; there’s a third factor that should be taken into account: emotions.

It is well established that whatever is going on in the mind influences the body, as they are indivisible parts of one whole.  When it comes to weight loss, negative thoughts and stress are associated with unhealthy behaviors such as emotional eating or the inability to maintain a regular exercise schedule.
Thus, any weight loss program, in order to succeed, needs a correct behavioral approach.


A survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, asked more than 1,300 licensed psychologists which strategies they considered essential to losing weight and keeping it off.
Over 44% of the respondents cited “understanding and managing the behaviors and emotions related to weight loss with their clients” as an essential factor in addressing weight loss.
“Emotional eating”, “maintaining a regular exercise schedule” and “making proper food choices in general” were also identified as keys to shedding weight.
Overall, cognitive therapy was find to be crucial in helping people identify all behaviors that can be detrimental to weight loss.
Understanding the underlying emotional issues related to weight gain is thus necessary to address negative thoughts and emotions that may emerge from time to time during a weight loss program.
“Although it is generally accepted that weight problems are most often caused by a combination of biological, emotional, behavioral 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 behavior as well as lifestyle approaches to exercise and making healthy eating choices,” concluded Norman B. Anderson, PhD, CEO of the American Psychological Association.
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The above story is written/reprinted from materials provided by the American Psychological Association