Health and medical information

In many cases, our thought patterns have been programmed by life, coming from inter-personal relationships, childhood experiences or situations of emotional trauma. The extent to which the fat loss leader needs to recognise and deal with these is covered more extensively in separate publications.7 An introductory perspective, however, can be gained from some of the more popular psychological techniques. Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) is an example of one of these. Developed by US psychologist Albert Ellis in the 1950s, this technique has now been adopted by many modem popular psychologists including Chicago University’s Professor Martin Seligman. Seligman is a psychologist who discovered, when working with animals in the 1960s and 1970s, that living organisms can have a tendency to defeatism if continually placed in powerless situations. If a rat is constantly shocked, for example, with no escape available, it eventually gives up and settles down to its fate, which is often death. Similarly, in very deprived circumstances, human beings learn helplessness—they actually regard their situation as hopeless and don’t even try.

Seligman called this experience ‘learned helplessness’ and published a book on the topic in 1974. After a 20-year gap he then published what he considered to be the antidote to this, ‘learned optimism’10 in which he utilises a lot of the techniques used by Albert Ellis in RET. Ellis’ approach was developed to counteract his own shyness as a young psychology student and his inability to communicate because of this. He reasoned that this inability was because of the anticipated anxiety he felt every time he went to make contact with another individual (in Mark Twain’s terms his life was full of ‘potential disasters’). Ellis realised that the problem was within himself, because of the way he thought about the situation; it was his belief that he was an unworthy person, because he must always succeed, other people must always treat him well and the world must be good to him. He realised, however, that these beliefs were irrational, and based on no solid, objective evidence. In a similar way, it is the belief of many fat people, that they are unworthy and that others regard them as unworthy, while in reality, others are generally too concerned about their own problems to even consider them This belief can then become self-fulfilling, exacerbating the problem of overfatness itself.

Ellis based his thesis of RET around a very simple format based on the letters ABCD. Ellis claimed: ‘We consciously and unconsciously choose to think and hence to feel in certain self-helping and self-harming ways’ and ‘Once you understand the basic irrational beliefs you create to upset yourself, you can use this understanding to explore, attack, and surrender your other present and future emotional problems’.

Beliefs, according to Ellis, can be rational or irrational. Irrational beliefs which, according to Ellis are the major problem in maladaptive behaviours, are generally associated with musts, shoulds and have to`s, and are usually ‘hot’, or charged with emotion in comparison with rational beliefs which are more ‘cool’ or ‘warm’. An example of an irrational belief would be ‘I MUST NEVER binge or I am a bad person’, or T HAVE TO always be good or I will feel miserable and horrible’.

It is easy to see how these irrational beliefs can lead one into cognitive habits, or thinking patterns, that are self-defeating, self-limiting and self-punishing. Ellis, therefore, adds D or Disputation to his program in order to help overcome these irrational beliefs. An individual should learn to systematically analyse his or her beliefs, he claims, and logically argue against these. This cannot be done by the therapist, but it may be aided. For example, the question can be asked: ‘Why must you always succeed on your diet or eating plan? It may be nice, but must it always happen? What would be the worst consequence if this did not happen? Could you live with this? What are the consequences of maintaining this irrational approach?’ The thought process is thus ‘renamed’ to provide an opportunity to reduce irrational thoughts.

RET is a relatively simplistic approach to a complex problem. It is used for a range of different psychopathologies including fear of flying, fear of spiders and many other phobias. It has potential use in body fat maintenance, although it would not be expected to be applicable under all circumstances. In many instances, such as those that lead to problems of obesity, there may be a role for a more detailed approach to the problem.

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The energy balance equation has underpinned most efforts to explain the energy dynamics of obesity. Obesity is characterised by high energy stores and usually a high energy intake and expenditure (metabolic rate). To reach a state of obesity, there needs to be a chronic imbalance between energy intake and expenditure over a long period of time. However, an initial positive energy balance will cause energy stores to increase (both fat mass and fat-free mass) which in turn causes an increase in energy expenditure, due mainly to the increased resting metabolic rate from the greater fat-free mass. At some point, the weight gain and increased energy expenditure will offset the original imbalance and a new equilibrium will be achieved.

Therefore, the energy balance equation helps to explain how a positive energy balance leads to weight gain and how a new steady state is achieved. However, it fails to answer two critical questions: why did the positive energy balance occur in the first place and why does it remain chronic over long periods? The answers to these questions may come from an understanding of the regulation of individual macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat, and alcohol). However, separating out each macronutrient balance equation can only be valid if the biochemical highways do not allow a free flow of nutrients. What are the restrictions for converting one nutrient to another for storage and, in particular, are glucose and alcohol converted into fat through the process called de novo lipogenesis?

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For Sharon Poppendeck, having her second child at age 39 was a welcome joy. But the postpregnancy pounds that lingered a year later were just plain unwelcome.

Sharon had read that metabolism starts to slow at around age 40. But the Indianapolis resident couldn’t understand why the extra 10 pounds that had accumulated around her belly and thighs just wouldn’t go away, no matter how hard she tried to shed it.

Puzzled, she began scrutinizing her eating habits like a scientist searching for a new discovery. Healthy foods? Yes. Snacks? No. She didn’t even eat when she took the kids for their favorite fast-food meals. Or did she?

Sharon didn’t usually order, but she did eat—everything the kids didn’t. “I’d just pick it up and finish it so I didn’t have to throw it out,” she says. “I didn’t even notice that I was doing it.”

Now, when she takes the kids out for fast food, she eats her typical healthy meal beforehand so that she’s not tempted to finish their leftovers. And forget the guilt about throwing away food. Into the garbage it goes!

Sharon also made another discovery and adopted a no-eating policy in her car. “I would always carry little snacks with me in case the kids got hungry,” she says. “The problem was that every time I gave them a handful of crackers, I ate a handful, too!” She still carries snacks for her children, but she herself doesn’t eat them.

Sure enough, the weight came off. And Sharon, now age 42, says that it has remained off, thanks to her bit of detective work.

WINNING ACTION

Leave the leftovers. Unlike what you may have learned growing up, you are not a human garbage disposal. So don’t feel compelled to eat your kids’ or grandkids’ leftovers. If you can’t bear to throw out uneaten food, wrap it up and put it in the refrigerator for later. In restaurants, request a doggie bag—unless you’re going to be too tempted to eat the leftovers yourself. In that case, let the waiter take it away.

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