Obesity has been a life long struggle. While myself and fifty percent of adults in the United States are battling obesity, the psychological effects have become larger than the obesity itself. Not only are we forced to deal with the physical effects of being overweight, I, like others have had to overcome the psychological effects as well. Low self esteem has been a challenge and has ultimately fueled my bout with depression. Although obesity, low self esteem, and depression are three separate issues, they are all linked and are all relevant to not only me, but to millions of Americans. OBESITY Obesity, as defined as a body weight fifteen percent or more above the ideal for one's height and age. It is typically evaluated by …show more content…
Psychological factors also play a large role in obesity. Many people eat in response to negative emotions such as sadness, depression and anger. These people are generally binge eaters. During a binge eating episode, a person eats large amounts of food and feel that they cannot control how much they are eating. These people have more difficulty losing weight and keeping it off than others without a binge eating problem. It is common that binge eaters suffer from low self esteem and depression. SELF ESTEEM Self esteem is defined as how we feel about ourselves.The way that one feels about them self can be positive resulting in high self esteem, or negative resulting in low self esteem. Self esteem evolves throughout a person's life based on their experiences and relationships. The way that one is treated by those closest to them can be a huge factor in determining their level of self esteem. Abuse, excessive criticism, neglect, and lack of support or love can all contribute to a person having low self esteem. Body image, a person's perception of his or her physical appearance, is another factor in self esteem. Those who feel unsatisfied with their physical appearance tend to have low self esteem. People with low self esteem tend to display certain symptoms. Anxiety and fear are the main the characteristics and may lead to panic attacks where the person will become withdrawn after suffering when feeling embarrassed or
A person with a strong sense of self esteem will have a more positive outlook on life and will be strong enough to handle difficult situations through life.
Someone I know who has high self- esteem is one of my friends. She is a very sweet and loving girl who totally has self- esteem. She used to be a very bad public speaker and since then has believed in herself and encourgared herself to improve and to practice. She studies hard and always makes time for her school and tries hard to get good grades. Physcially she wears little makeup and is very confident even if she has acne. She has taught herself to love yourself and to be happy the way you
The people of the United States have struggled nationwide with obesity, and currently lead the world in this epidemic. Not only is obesity a constant burden to the health of the person that is affected, but the people that are surrounded by the unhealthy lifestyles are at greater risk of developing the same bad habits. As an entirety we need to stop being ignorant to the fact that being overweight is alright. We must create more opportunities along with incentives for the citizens of our country to help themselves achieve a better state of physical health, which in turn also benefits their mental health.
There are several theories about how the two are linked. Some researchers suggest that obesity can lead to common mental health disorders, whilst others have found that people with such disorders are more prone to obesity. Other studies have found no association between the two. Obesity is also associated with an increased risk for a variety of chronic diseases, most of which are associated with depression, which in turn can precipitate chronic disease due to diminished treatment adherence and/or response. Obesity can cause poor self-image and low self-esteem and social isolation, all known contributors to depression. Those who are obese can also find themselves ostracized, stereotyped, and discriminated against. When someone is obese they tend to be signaled out as “fat”. This can be considered verbal bullying. Many times obese people don’t realize that they have gained a lot of weight until after it has already happened. On the other hand obesity works the other way around as well. Children and adolescents who suffer from depression and low self- esteem de to other factors in life are more likely to become obese two years later. Many depressed people or people with other disorders like anxiety tend to find comfort in food. They eat not because they are hungry but because they feel low about
In general, obesity is a condition that is characterized by excessive body fat accumulation, to the extent that health can be impaired (International Journal of Epidemiology, 2010). Among children, it is defined as being higher than the 95th percentile for the given sex and age group on a smooth curve BMI chart (Puhl & Schwartz, 2003).
About a year ago, my doctor informed me that I was obese; I didn’t consider myself as obese, but the numbers do not lie. Since then I have lost the weight, but I have fear I may gain it back. In 2013 the American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease, how does this affect the patients, the medical community, and the health care system? Will patients receive better care? I believe that obesity is a disease because it prevents the body from working normally causing illness; which has the potential to cause other health issues, affecting a person’s physical and mental health. Concern for my health and those around me, has motivated me to learn more about obesity and be more proactive about this global issue that affects people
Self-esteem is “the sense of underpinning self-values, self-acceptance, and self-love, thought to be a powerful buffer against perceived threats” (Seaward, 2015). Self-esteem is how we feel about and view ourselves. When someone puts us down, treats us badly, or gives us compliments and loves us that is what builds or brings down our self-esteem. Self-esteem is brought on by our feelings, thoughts, actions, and memories (Seaward, 2015). Self-esteem plays a big role with stress. If a person is brought down and feels little by others and themselves, it can make them very stressed. Low self-esteem is one key factor that can bring out the stress in those who are stressed. Low self-esteem is not feeling happy about yourself or your thoughts,
It is well known that obesity leads to multiple medical conditions (17036573). Diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease are comorbidities associated with obesity (Must A, Spadano J, Coakley E, et al. The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. JAMA 2006;295:1549–56.). Also, obesity connected to increased mortality and morbidity (24570244). Moreover, those with morbid or extreme obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m2) have the highest risk of psychiatric comorbidities. Additionally, obesity linked to
On the other hand, self-esteem is a measure of how one may view oneself. Self-esteem has a lot to do with a person’s level of confidence and the self-image that a person may have. An individual’s self-esteem may fluctuate daily depending on certain experiences, which can cause changes in the thoughts and feelings that one may have. According to the Oxford Dictionary, self-esteem is the confidence in one’s own worth, abilities, and the self respect a person has for themselves. Similar to the styles of humor, depending on the particular individual, there are many levels regarding ones self-esteem. A person who has very high self-esteem would be considered to have a very positive self-image and be confident of oneself. Whereas a person, who has low self-esteem, would be considered to have more of a negative self-image, be unsure of oneself as well as any personal relationships
It 's not a healthy state to feel shitty about yourself most of the time, and most of us naturally want to feel good about ourselves.
Low self-esteem: Low self-esteem is a debilitating condition that keeps individuals from realizing their full potential. A person with low self-esteem feels unworthy, incapable and incompetent
There are numerous factors that cause low self-esteem, these include look or weight, mental challenges, peer group/pressure, bullying etc. Anyone exposed to any of these factors is prone to have low self-esteem. For instance, constant bullying in schools could make a child develop low self-esteem at a tender age. The child will see him as not strong enough or too lousy to stand up for himself. Therefore, bullying should be discouraged in schools. Most kids who suffer from bullies end up most of the time with low self-esteem.
Health, 2013). Obesity is defined as an individual who is excessively heavy and has a body
Low self-esteem can and will negatively affect almost every aspect of your life, including relationships, job, education and your health. You can, however, take steps to improve your self-esteem by taking cues from types of mental health counseling.
Obesity: the condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat.