Posted: Jan 17, 2012 12:41 am
by Median
Rilx wrote:
Median wrote:If those who have emergencies from being too skinny have to receive physical and mental treatment, then if you're consistent, the same should apply to those who are morbidly obese.

No one is committed to treatment just being skinny or obese. Actually you are speaking of anorexics and food addicts. Even though you may see "consistency" in their physical appearances, their mental states are essentially different. An anorexic emaciates because she believes that she is too fat. She has a disordered sense of reality; that's her mental problem. And that's not the case with addicts. Have you ever heard of anybody obese who eats because she believes she's too skinny? No, addiction is not like that. Addicts may occasionally lie to themselves or make up some stupid explanations but generally they live in reality; they are not mentally disordered. That's the difference which makes the difference.


Someone here already agreed that mental illness fuels obesity. So while an anorexic may have a disordered sense of reality concerning what is fat, the top morbidly obese have a disordered sense of self-worth (e.g. depression) or some kind of emotional problem that leads to extreme "emotional eating" or BED.

As I said, sex addicts are considered mentally ill, so for the same reason, someone who can't control themselves when it comes to food should be considered mentally ill as well if it is causing significant problems with their life.