Risk Factors of Obesity

Risk Factors of Obesity

Obesity is considered to be unattractive and individuals who are extremely overweight may find themselves teased, shunned or otherwise not treated very well. Many individuals desire to lose weight, and those who are overweight generally fell bad about themselves. Some experts conducted a meta analytic study that identified some consistent risk factors of obesity, including the following:

-          obesity is related to poor body image and body dissatisfaction, especially in girls, college age women and women in general.

-          Children who are obese have lower levels of self esteem regarding their bodies.

-          Being overweight is related to poor self concept in adolescent girls and collage age women.

Thus, adolescent girls and women, in particular and sometimes children, appear experience some negative psychological consequences from being overweight. Some individuals who are severely obese seek treatment because they are experiencing significant psychological distress. However, in general, most individuals who are overweight or obese are well adjusted and do not appear to experience significant psychiatric disturbances relative to peers who are not obese.