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In Defense of Obesity

Rydén, Olof LU (2004) p.557-579
Abstract
Previous research suggests that an inclination to eat in response to unlabeled anxiety and a strong dependence on environmental stimuli are more common in overweight individuals than in normal-weight controls. In particular, individuals who habitually use food and eating in order to alleviate painful feelings have to face these feelings when dieting, unless they can be neutralised by psychological defences. In a series of studies we investigated 1) psychological features in obese patients before and after surgical or dietary treatment and, 2) psychological correlates of differential weight loss after treatment. We expected that certain psychological features—immature psychological defence, depression, anxiety and impulsivity/—would be more... (More)
Previous research suggests that an inclination to eat in response to unlabeled anxiety and a strong dependence on environmental stimuli are more common in overweight individuals than in normal-weight controls. In particular, individuals who habitually use food and eating in order to alleviate painful feelings have to face these feelings when dieting, unless they can be neutralised by psychological defences. In a series of studies we investigated 1) psychological features in obese patients before and after surgical or dietary treatment and, 2) psychological correlates of differential weight loss after treatment. We expected that certain psychological features—immature psychological defence, depression, anxiety and impulsivity/—would be more common among obese than among normal-weight individuals and tend to be linked with treatment failure. Since the obese individual with immature or ineffective defences cannot readily neutralise painful feelings which he/she is liable to experience during food deprivation, s/he is left dependent on somatic or behavioural reac¬tions, or is prone to experience depressive affects as a protection against anxiety. Hence, success or failure after treatment for obesity should be predictable on the basis of the maturity of the individual’s defences (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Defense mechanisms: Theoretical, research, and clinical perspectives (Advances in psychology; 136)
editor
Hentschel, U ; Smith, Gudmund ; Draguns, J.G and Ehlers, W
pages
557 - 579
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:39449097766
ISSN
0166-4115
ISBN
0-444-51263-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2a5ba4ea-9318-4c1f-b316-915849f7fad5 (old id 924981)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:51:29
date last changed
2022-01-28 22:39:27
@inbook{2a5ba4ea-9318-4c1f-b316-915849f7fad5,
  abstract     = {{Previous research suggests that an inclination to eat in response to unlabeled anxiety and a strong dependence on environmental stimuli are more common in overweight individuals than in normal-weight controls. In particular, individuals who habitually use food and eating in order to alleviate painful feelings have to face these feelings when dieting, unless they can be neutralised by psychological defences. In a series of studies we investigated 1) psychological features in obese patients before and after surgical or dietary treatment and, 2) psychological correlates of differential weight loss after treatment. We expected that certain psychological features—immature psychological defence, depression, anxiety and impulsivity/—would be more common among obese than among normal-weight individuals and tend to be linked with treatment failure. Since the obese individual with immature or ineffective defences cannot readily neutralise painful feelings which he/she is liable to experience during food deprivation, s/he is left dependent on somatic or behavioural reac¬tions, or is prone to experience depressive affects as a protection against anxiety. Hence, success or failure after treatment for obesity should be predictable on the basis of the maturity of the individual’s defences}},
  author       = {{Rydén, Olof}},
  booktitle    = {{Defense mechanisms: Theoretical, research, and clinical perspectives (Advances in psychology; 136)}},
  editor       = {{Hentschel, U and Smith, Gudmund and Draguns, J.G and Ehlers, W}},
  isbn         = {{0-444-51263-2}},
  issn         = {{0166-4115}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{557--579}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  title        = {{In Defense of Obesity}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}