Re: OT: A news item never to be discussed over thanksgiving dinner . . .

[Guest guest]

Whoa, Lenny,

You lost me right here:

The Canadian team also found that schizoid personality disorder, arelatively rare condition in which a person is not interested insocial relationships and prefers to live a solitary, secretive life,was more common among underweight women. Overweight men were lesslikely to have paranoid personality disorder.Women with avoidant or paranoid personalities may lead more sedentarylifestyles, making them more likely to gain weight, while thestigmatization overweight women may experience could itself lead topersonality problems, the researchers say.-------------------------------------------

This doesn't make much sense to me because the reasons women could be avoiding a 'social life' could be quite similar in both scenarios, yet some gain weight and the others don't. I don't quite get it, even though I have weighed in on both ends of that spectrum at one time or another (and have lost or gained weight there,too).

For example, some of us may spend way too much time in our "secretive activities" here to our spouses liking, but we are not being all that secretive, because we are sharing this information with each other (who are here). I also doubt that many of us are becoming overly fat due to our Internet activities. At least, I hope not,

Aasa

Subject: OT: A news item never to be discussed over thanksgiving dinner . . .To: EOHarm Received: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 4:26 AM

Heavier women seen prone to personality disordersLast Updated: 2009-01-06 15:23:16 -0400 (Reuters Health)By Anne HardingNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight and obese women are more likelyto have antisocial personality disorder, paranoid personality disorderand extreme social phobia than their leaner peers, new researchpublished in Psychosomatic Medicine shows.On the other hand, for men, extra pounds seem to actually reduce theirrisk for paranoid personality disorder.Dr. Jitender Sareen of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and hiscolleagues suggest in their report that antisocial and paranoiddisorders could conceivably cause overweight and obesity in women, orvice versa -- or both.People who are overweight or obese are known to be at higher risk ofso-called Axis I psychiatric disorders, which include majordepression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse,

Sareen toldReuters Health. However, the association between body weight andpersonality disorders (classified as Axis II disorders) is not as clear.People are believed to develop personality disorders relatively earlyin life, before age 18. These disorders are considered to be fairlyresistant to treatment, although evidence is mounting that certaintypes of personality disorder can indeed get better with the rightkind of therapy.Sareen and his colleagues looked at data from a 2001-2002 nationalsurvey on 43,093 US residents 18 and older. Study participants hadbeen assessed for all seven different types of personality disorder.Once the researchers accounted for Axis I disorders, socioeconomic anddemographic characteristics, health problems, and other relevantfactors, they found that the overweight and obese women were atgreater risk of antisocial, paranoid, and avoidant personality

disorder.People with avoidant personality disorder are extremely shy andfearful of rejection, and avoid social interaction. Antisocialpersonality disorder, on the other hand, is characterized by disregardfor the rights of other people.The Canadian team also found that schizoid personality disorder, arelatively rare condition in which a person is not interested insocial relationships and prefers to live a solitary, secretive life,was more common among underweight women. Overweight men were lesslikely to have paranoid personality disorder.Women with avoidant or paranoid personalities may lead more sedentarylifestyles, making them more likely to gain weight, while thestigmatization overweight women may experience could itself lead topersonality problems, the researchers say.It's also possible that a shared underlying biological problem, suchas abnormalities in the "reward hormone"

dopamine, could contribute topersonality disorder risk and the likelihood of being overweight."Lots of people get psychotherapy for Axis II disorders and over timethey do change," Sareen noted, even though the benefits ofpsychodynamic therapy for these individuals has been "controversial. "In the future, he added, it will be important to investigate whethertreating such disorders may make it easier for people to maintain ahealthy weight.SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2008.

[Guest guest]

" Researchers also noted that women who read and believed studies such

as this tended to withdraw further and experience deepening

insecurities as acquaintances and colleagues begin to make " crazy

jokes " on top of fat jokes which are usually uttered barely out of

the hearing of overweight women " .

>

> Heavier women seen prone to personality disorders

>

> Last Updated: 2009-01-06 15:23:16 -0400 (Reuters Health)

>

> By Anne Harding

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight and obese women are more

likely

> to have antisocial personality disorder, paranoid personality

disorder

> and extreme social phobia than their leaner peers, new research

> published in Psychosomatic Medicine shows.

>

> On the other hand, for men, extra pounds seem to actually reduce

their

> risk for paranoid personality disorder.

>

> Dr. Jitender Sareen of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and

his

> colleagues suggest in their report that antisocial and paranoid

> disorders could conceivably cause overweight and obesity in women,

or

> vice versa -- or both.

>

> People who are overweight or obese are known to be at higher risk of

> so-called Axis I psychiatric disorders, which include major

> depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse, Sareen told

> Reuters Health. However, the association between body weight and

> personality disorders (classified as Axis II disorders) is not as

clear.

>

> People are believed to develop personality disorders relatively

early

> in life, before age 18. These disorders are considered to be fairly

> resistant to treatment, although evidence is mounting that certain

> types of personality disorder can indeed get better with the right

> kind of therapy.

>

> Sareen and his colleagues looked at data from a 2001-2002 national

> survey on 43,093 US residents 18 and older. Study participants had

> been assessed for all seven different types of personality disorder.

>

> Once the researchers accounted for Axis I disorders, socioeconomic

and

> demographic characteristics, health problems, and other relevant

> factors, they found that the overweight and obese women were at

> greater risk of antisocial, paranoid, and avoidant personality

disorder.

>

> People with avoidant personality disorder are extremely shy and

> fearful of rejection, and avoid social interaction. Antisocial

> personality disorder, on the other hand, is characterized by

disregard

> for the rights of other people.

>

> The Canadian team also found that schizoid personality disorder, a

> relatively rare condition in which a person is not interested in

> social relationships and prefers to live a solitary, secretive life,

> was more common among underweight women. Overweight men were less

> likely to have paranoid personality disorder.

>

> Women with avoidant or paranoid personalities may lead more

sedentary

> lifestyles, making them more likely to gain weight, while the

> stigmatization overweight women may experience could itself lead to

> personality problems, the researchers say.

>

> It's also possible that a shared underlying biological problem, such

> as abnormalities in the " reward hormone " dopamine, could contribute

to

> personality disorder risk and the likelihood of being overweight.

>

> " Lots of people get psychotherapy for Axis II disorders and over

time

> they do change, " Sareen noted, even though the benefits of

> psychodynamic therapy for these individuals has

been " controversial. "

> In the future, he added, it will be important to investigate whether

> treating such disorders may make it easier for people to maintain a

> healthy weight.

>

> SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2008.

>

[Guest guest]

Or, it's just a coincidence.

CGF

>

> Heavier women seen prone to personality disorders...

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2008.

>

[Guest guest]

Didn't they just change the definitions of obesity to widen the count?

No, that's not it.

> >

> > Heavier women seen prone to personality disorders...

> SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 2008.

> >

>