Obesity: The Power of

Your Emotions

Dr. Yarisa M. Bonet

Educator & Mental Health Specialist
Emotional Intelligence Expert
Fibrofit Wellness Institute

Objectives
At the end of this presentation, the
participants will be able to:
Understand the role of emotions
and obesity.
Learn the concept of emotional
intelligence
Learn and teach emotional
intelligence skills to decrease
obesity.

Behavioral & Psychological

Factors
Food

is often used as a coping

mechanism by those with weight
problems [1]

Sad
Anxious
Stressed
Lonely
Frustrated

Cycle of mood disturbance,

overeating, and gain weight.

Obesity Cycle
Anxiety

Guilty

Low selfesteem

Depressi
on

Overeati
ng

Mind & Body Interaction

Obesity

is frequently accompanied by
depression and the two can influence
each other (2)
Women are more vulnerable to the
obesity-depression cycle.
Obesity in women was associated with a
37 percent increase in major depression.
Depression can both cause and result
from stress which may influence in your
eating and activity habits.

Obesity and Low Emotional

Wellbeing
According to Mendez (2010) one
in four American adults who are
obese are more likely that those
who are normal weight to report
depression, stress, worry, and
anger , and sadness.

Behavioral Treatment
Cognitive

behavioral therapy

Goal: Lifestyle modifications with diet &

exercises
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Research data: Participants in CBT
have lost an average of 10% of their
initial weigh (3).

CBT Intervention & Management

Change

negative behaviors and

incorporate healthy lifestyles.
CBT interventions are selfmonitoring techniques.
Stress management
Problem solving
Cognitive restructuring.

Component of CBT
Self-monitoring

In a food diary, the participant writes down everything that they eat,
the calories consumed and the situation in which the eating was
done. Maintaining these diaries for the first 6 months is predictive of
success at losing weight (2)
Even in a placebo versus pharmaceutical agent trial, those who
successfully maintained a record of food intake lost twice as much
weight compared to those who did not (5)
Stimulus control
Purchase of Food Items
Slower eating
Goal setting
Behavioral contracting
Setting realistic goals for the patient intending to lose weight in
terms of weight loss per week/ month.(7)
In a 16-week randomized control trial in 57 predominately male
subjects, a financial inducement led to an average weight loss of 6
kg compared to the control group which lost 1.77 kg (7 )

Component of CBT
Education

A structured meal plan devised for an individual patient in

consultation with a dietician results in a greater weight
loss compared to the absence of a structured meal plan
(5).
Increasing

physical activity

Repeated studies have shown that self-monitoring and

increasing physical activity are consistently associated
with better outcomes in the long and short term(5)
Social

support

A recent meta-analysis has concluded that including family

members led to an additional 3 kg weight loss compared
to programs that did not include family members (2)
Problem

Solving/Assertiveness
Stress Reduction

Efficacy of CBT
A

review of studies revealed a

weight loss of 10.6% in the initial
phase and 8.6% in the follow-up
phase (2).

After

2 years of contact some

type of intervention is
recommended to preserve the
benefits.

CBT Settings
Clinical

Settings
Self-Help Groups
Psychologist
Life & Wellness Coaches
Internet Based Programs

Behavioral Strategies in Medical

Clinics
Encourage

positive attitudes to obese

patients among your staff.
Improve clinical encounters with the
obese patient.
Assess patients motivation for weight
loss with no judgment
Empathize with the patient.
Listen carefully to the problem.
Lean and practice emotional
intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Ability

to monitor, identify, and

manage our and others people
emotions.

Self-awareness
Self-management
Social awareness
Empathy
Relationship management

References
1.

American Psychological Associations. (2012). Mind/body Health.

2.

Avenell A, Broom J, Brown TJ, Poobalan A, Aucott L, Stearns SC, et al. Systematic review
of the long-term effects and economic consequences of treatments for obesity and
implications for health improvement. (1-182).Health Technol Assess. 2004;8:iiiiv.
[PubMed: 15147610]

3.

Guare JC, Wing RR, Marcus MD, Epstein LH, Burton LR, Gooding WE. Analysis of
changes in eating behaviour and weight loss in type II diabetic patients. Which
behaviours to change. Diabetes Care. 1989;12:50012.[PubMed: 2758955]

4.

Jubbin, J & Rajesh, Isaac. (2012). Behavioral therapy of management of obesity. Indian
Journal of Endocrinologist & Metabolism. Jan-Feb; 16(1): 2832.

5.

Mendes, E. (2010). Obesity linked to lower emotional wellbeing. Gallup.

6.

Pedersen SD, Kang J, Kline GA. Portion control plate for weight loss in obese patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a controlled clinical trial. Arch Intern Med.
2007;167:1277.[PubMed: 17592101]

7.

Wadden TA, Berkowitz RI, Womble LG, Sarwer DB, Phelan S, Cato RK, et al. Randomized
trial of lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy for obesity. N Engl J Med.
2005;353:211120.[PubMed: 16291981]

8.

Volpp KG, John LK, Troxel AB, Norton L, Fassbender J, Loewenstein G. Financial
incentive-based approaches for weight loss: A randomized trial. JAMA. 2008;300:2631
7. [PMCID: PMC3583583][PubMed: 19066383]

9.

Wing, RR. (2002) Behavioral weight control. In Wadded TA. Handbook of obesity
treatment New York Guilt.