Air date: July 26, 2009

Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD

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So, say you worked really hard to lose weight. You ate right, exercised every day. Maybe you even tried bariatric surgery. And after a few months, you've lost 50 pounds. You'd feel great, right?

Most of the time, yes. But for some people who've lost a lot of weight, body image issues linger, even after the fat has melted away. Such people still worry about not fitting into clothes, or bumping into things they used to in their overweight days. Some professionals are calling this -- phantom fat.

"It’s a relatively new term which some specialists are using to define a phenomenon in which a person who lost a significant amount of weight still have a perception of themselves as being overweight and still have a negative view of his or her body."

That’s Dr. Adrienne Gomez, a bariatric specialist in Indianapolis. She says phantom fat is especially common for people who've had weight loss surgery, probably because the fat disappears so rapidly.

"The more quickly the change happens definitely the harder it is for the mind to make that change. Especially if that person has had a long standing problem with overweight or obesity and has had long standing issues with negative body image related to that, it will be harder for them to change as well."

Dr. Gomez says that phantom fat is most common in women, who tend to feel more self conscious about their bodies than men do. But whether you're male or female, if you’re being terrorized by phantom fat, don't despair. Dr. Gomez suggests exercise to reduce stress. You can also try wearing more form fitting clothes to convince yourself that the fat has indeed gone away.

But if nothing helps, and phantom fat is haunting you relentlessly, then it’s time to seek counseling.

I'm Jeremy Shere.

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about phantom fat.

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