What Bullies Don’t Know About Obese People
There is not a small number of people who are being bullied because they are fat, partly because they do not know the underlying reasons why one is obese, and partly because they think it is okay to make fun of someone. Many put the blame on these people by claiming it is their lifestyle and lack of discipline that cause obesity. And it’s a sad thing that such ignorance causes stigma that have to be faced by those being bullied.
Stressed out. The anxieties in life and the strife in meeting other people’s expectations largely contribute to the stress that causes people to overeat. As featured by WebMD, Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, says stress eaters tend to prefer high-carbohydrate foods because they trigger an increase of the brain chemical serotonin, which has a calming effect. According to her, these people are almost like self-medicating in order to feel better. And since they feel stress is eased by these foods, they tend to reach for them more frequently, thus causing weight to pile up.
Under medication. Necessary medications prescribed by physicians do not only promise relief to someone’s illness, but may also bring side effects such as overeating. Your appetite may be increased by corticosteroids, tricylic antidepressant, olanzapine and clozapine antipsychotic drugs. Overindulging with food is also likely to happen to people being treated with antiseizure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heartburn medications. Significantly, controlling the urge to eat is a challenge itself.
Pre-existing conditions. In some cases, it is the actual health condition that led to significant and rapid weight gain. As for the case of LaNiyah, she was earlier diagnosed with swollen colon due to constipation, just as her mom LaToya White said in an interview at npr.org, with Michelle Martin. She was also previously diagnosed with polydipsea, a condition that makes a person drink lots of fluids. She may also have problems with insulin receptor. All these are contributing to her abnormal weight gain.
Other people may be suffering from insomnia, wherein the body experiences physiological stress that leads to more efficient storing of fat.
Genes. According to studies, obesity may also be affected by energy-thrifty genotype. This theory tells that the ability to store fat have something to do with how the genes react and adapt to environmental shifts and challenges.
This article was inspired by LaNiyah Bailey, the 6-year-old girl from Chicago who wrote a book about her own experiences of being bullied at a very early age. The book is entitled “Not Fat Because I Wanna Be.”
