Many are aware that being extremely overweight and obese increases the risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart ailments, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some forms of cancer. Experts believe that the 76% rise in the incidence of Type II diabetes in adults aged between 30 and 40 since 1990 can be directly linked to the surge in the number of overweight and obese adults in the country. At present, there are 3 million morbidly obese, 40 million obese and about 58 million overweight people all across the US.

Aside from physical ailments, however, obesity can also affect the emotional and social health of people suffering from it. In a country where skinny, even to the point of being anorexic, is being lauded and praised, it is not surprising that individuals who are plump, fat or rotund are getting depressed, angry, resentment and tremendously shy. In fact, many documentaries showed on television have depicted how overweight and obese adults are being laughed at, mistreated and even harassed.

Here are some of the common emotional and social problems that severely overweight individuals are suffering from:

Lack Of Self-confidence

Try observing the way that individuals who are horizontally challenged walk. You will notice that many of them are not holding their heads up high. Instead, they usually walk with their heads bowed down. This gesture is an indication of lack of self-confidence.

If you were overweight ever since you were a child, there is a big chance that you have suffered ridicule, insults and even practical jokes that could really put your self-esteem down. As a result, you will feel inadequate and ugly as an adult. Thus, even if you are really beautiful inside and out, you tend to shy away from people, relationships, and social gathering.

Depression

A lot of overweight people also experience depression. The ironic part is that many depend on food to help ease or alleviate their condition. As a result, some become fatter and unhealthier because they drown their depression in boxes of chocolates, cans of alcoholic beverages, and barrels of fried chicken.

Depression is a serious emotional problem because it can lead to dangerous tendencies, such as self-infliction of pain and suicide. More often than not, weight problems cause depression because of failure in achieving weight loss, experiencing unrequited love, or inability to fit in the crowd.

Another reason behind the bouts of depression associated with obesity is the high risk of getting serious illnesses. A 40-year old person with a body mass index of over 30 is usually suffering from one or more health complications. People who are sick with dangerous diseases, such as breast cancer, diabetes, stroke and hypertension have a big tendency of becoming depressed because of the physical condition itself or the huge amount of money associated with treating the condition.

Feeling Of Helplessness

The feeling of helplessness is actually more common in people who are obese to morbidly obese. When you are extremely overweight, there are some activities that you can no longer perform, like mountain climbing. In fact, being severely fat also hinders you from performing sexual activities with your partner.

Some overweight individuals also feel helpless with regard to losing the fat. Exercising and dieting is so hard that many just give up and accept the fact that they will be fat all their lives and there is really nothing that can be done about it.

If you can identify with the emotions mentioned above, then it is high time for you to seek medical help. You need to start getting a grip on your emotions and also on your physical well being. If it is hard for you to diet or exercise, you can probably undergo surgical procedures that can help jumpstart the weight loss process. If you are not keen about going under the knife, you can always take weight-loss supplements like Phenocal which can assist in curbing appetite and boosting metabolism. But before you take any weight-loss product, be sure to consult with your physician. To know more about this supplement, just visit