title: Integrating fundamental concepts of obesity and eating disorders: implications for the obesity epidemic.
abstract: Physiological mechanisms promote weight gain after famine. Because eating disorders, obesity, and dieting limit food intake, they are famine-like experiences. The development of the concept of meeting an ideal weight was the beginning of increasing obesity. Weight stigma, the perception of being fat, lack of understanding of normal growth and development, and increased concern about obesity on the part of health providers, parents, and caregivers have reinforced each other to promote dieting. Because weight suppression and disinhibition provoke long-term weight increase, dieting is a major factor producing the obesity epidemic. The integrated eating disorder-obesity theory included in this article emphasizes that, contrary to dieters, lifetime weight maintainers depend on physiological processes to control weight and experience minimal weight change.
authors.affiliation: Ann E. Macpherson-Sánchez is with the Department of Agricultural Education, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Macpherson-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D057545:Social Stigma