Question: Many people are looking into obesity - what makes psychology so important?

Heather McKee answered on 18 Jun 2010:

People become obese due to excess intake of food combined with a lack of activity-but what triggers people to eat more than they need??
If you watch any episode of the Channel 4 show supersize vs. super skinny (which involves examining the diets of one extremely underweight and extremely overweight individual) the doctor delves deep into each individuals past to look for clues as to why they have become the way they are now. Just like under eating disorders such as anorexia are psychological disorders and have triggers, so too does the overeating that leads to obesity. There are many external things that can influence our weight gain, our environment, our activity and even our family. However the majority of reasons are psychological. Reasons can include loneliness, boredom, comfort eating/emotional eating, depression, anxiety, stress, trauma (whether as an adult or child), and feelings of low self-esteem .
Basically without looking into the psychology behind what triggers an individual to become obese you’re ignoring the root of the problem.
As well as being the key to how we develop obesity, psychology is also the key in how we treat obesity. Each of the above reasons behind obesity can be tackled through psychological intervention.
It is now widely known that diets don’t work and that the only way to cure obesity is with a healthy diet and exercise. However in order to undertake this an obese person must develop the single skill that is the key to weight loss success-motivation. Without the motivation to lose weight there is no hope in the battle against obesity. Thus this is why scientists and psychologists alike are now working on ways in which to best motivate an individual towards losing weight. By gaining a better understanding of the process of motivation within obese individuals us psychologists can design interventions that maximise motivation and thus maximise the potential for weight loss. Without psychology there would be no way of measuring motivation and as such no true way of adequately understanding, preventing and treating obesity.