If You Are Overweight, Don't Overstress Yourself About It

Thinking about being overweight isn't going to help you lose it. Stress about your obesity might actually add the extra weight around your waist, according to mid-day.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool said that people who identify their bodies being more obese than they want to be are more prone to getting heavier than doctors advise.

"Realising you are an overweight individual is in itself likely to be quite stressful and results in making healthy choices in your lifestyle more difficult. It is a tricky finding for doctors," said Dr Eric Robinson from the University's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society.

The researchers looked at the lives of 14,000 adults in US and Britain.

It's the heavier individuals who tend to eat more than is advised due to stress. They were more likely to report overeating in response to stress and this predicted subsequent weight gain.

The scientists looked at information gathered from time periods after their children became adults to find out what they felt was their perception of their own weight. They tried to see whether or not it was "correct" and what was the gain in their weight over a period.

"What is important is to tackle stigma in society. People with a heavier body weight have body image challenges. That is not surprising given the way we talk about weight as a society," Robinson added in a paper published in the International Journal of Obesity.

It is possible to make them switch to healthy lifestyles, but without making them feel that their weight gain is terrible, scientists concluded.

Research explains that the more you are kind to yourself, the more effective you would be in changing your behavior. If you are not kind to yourself, you would move towards "emotional eating". Hence, accept yourself and your weight for the moment, and concentrate on the "amazing positive choices" you are making, according to womenshealthmag.