Wellness Coaching For Obesity, Emotional Eating, Food Addictions, And Overeating

In recent years, it has become very evident that obesity is a battle for many people. While we can document infinite research supporting scientific reasons for emotional eating, food addictions, and overeating, for those of us who look at science from a holistic perspective we can not deny the spiritual reasons for obesity.

From a holistic health and wellness coaching perspective, one must deal with the spiritual aspects of obesity as well as the physical. Obesity begins with an uncontrollable hunger. However, what really causes this hunger? Often times, when holistic wellness coaches work with clients battling obesity, issues surrounding emotional eating, food addictions, and overeating rise to the surface.

And what are these issues? Many people suffering from obesity, emotional eating, food addictions, and overeating are searching for fulfillment and validation. Spiritually, it is the search for fulfillment which causes uncontrollable hunger and overeating while the search for validation triggers emotional eating which leads to food addictions.

Those persons who overeat are trying to fill the voids they feel in their lives. For example, a person who desires passion and a loving relationship may turn to sweets, candies, and cakes to fill the void. They say words like...I love my ice cream. I have to have it. Are these truly words that should be applied to food? On the other, may people who search for validation find themselves eating comfort foods and eventually suffer with food addictions. Those persons who are emotional eaters use food to soothe them at times when they feel lonely, depressed, insignificant, and powerless.

However, the great challenge for those who are obese is dealing with the true causes which have led them to feel unfulfilled or invalid. The challenge for wellness coaches is to help obese clients realize that food is a part of the problem but there is more to contend with. The difficulty is helping obese clients realize that there are not quick fixes for the underlining causes of obesity and concentrating on dropping the pounds is just treating the symptom and not the problem.

Accordingly, due to the nature of our popular culture, wellness coaches will have obese clients who will simply want the latest pill, shake, powder, or fad diet to get rid of the weight. However, by introducing a holistic approach, wellness coaches can help overweight and obese clients restore a sense of empowerment. When in a position of power, problems with overeating, food addictions, and emotional eating can truly be addressed. Clients will recognize triggers, emotions, and true sources of pain. Moreover, clients will learn to reach self-fulfillment and experience self-validation without the use of food.

In many ways, when dealing with emotional eaters and food addicts, wellness coaches will soon realize that many of the problems faced by alcoholics and drug addicts are quite similar to their obese and overweight clients. In the lives of those battling obesity are enablers, people who don't understand, people and environments which can pressure them to eat unhealthy foods, and those who have been inadvertently hurt by the person suffering from the disease.

While wellness coaching for obesity, food addictions, overeating, and emotional eating does pose some challenges, the reward is knowing you are giving people a second chance at life. You are helping people restore a sense of true self. It's more than just helping people get fit our losing weight. It is all about rebuilding people from the inside out.

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