PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS WHY YOU BINGE: SELF-ESTEEM AND BODY IMAGE
As a binge eater you probably have a very low opinion of yourself. Low self-esteem is both a cause and an effect of binge eating. If you have low self-esteem you are extremely self-critical and quick to find fault with yourself. You may try to please everyone and fear that you won't live up to the expectations of your family and friends. When people compliment you, you probably downplay their praise or think they are not being sincere.
You may also be critical of and dissatisfied with your body weight and shape. Most overweight binge eaters cannot remember a time when they were not self-conscious about the way they looked. Some actually view themselves as grotesque.
One way in which body-image problems have been studied is to ask people a series of forced-choice questions as to whether they would prefer being overweight to having various physical handicaps. When given this choice, most severely overweight individuals say they would rather be deaf, diabetic, or dyslexic. In fact, almost 10 percent said they would rather have a limb amputated than be overweight.
Your mind can make your weight problem seem worse than it actually is. Overweight individuals are three times more likely to overestimate their body size compared to non-overweight people. This is especially true if you have been overweight since childhood.
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