Over 50 percent of overweight people suffer from various kinds of psychological distress, said a doctor from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University citing the results of a survey, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
Bayar is a Shenzhen resident of the Mongolian ethnic minority. He was 1.87 meters tall and weighed 100 kilograms. Additionally, he was fond of playing basketball and had been a talented player.
However, a leg injury last March forced him to quit playing basketball and subsequently his temperament went through a drastic change. He started throwing tantrums for small reasons and developed the habit of binge eating. In over a year, he had spent more than 500,000 yuan (US$73,496) on food and ballooned to 190 kilograms before deciding to undergo bariatric surgery.
Like Bayar, a senior high school student identified as Xiaoshi also experienced such psychological issues while preparing for the college entrance examinations. He would often be laughed at by classmates because he was overweight and gradually became more self-conscious and irritable.
This July, Xiaoshi’s mother took him to the psychiatry department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University for a consultation. Xiaoshi underwent bariatric surgery according to the doctor’s advice.
During his stay in the hospital, he lost 7 kilograms and was no longer locked in his own world.
“Obesity itself is prone to arouse concerns and discussions. Whether they are intentional, unintentional, well-intended or malicious, they will bring harm to obese people,” said Wang Cunchuan, an expert in bariatric surgery and vice president of the hospital.
According to Wang, the psychological problems caused by obesity are generally relieved when the patients successfully lose weight.