Obesity, Self Esteem, Depression Essay - 1172 Words

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 ones 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 persons 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 persons 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 Anxiety and fear are the main the characteristics and may lead to panic attacks where the person will become withdrawn after suffering when feeling embarrassed orShow MoreRelatedObesity Literature Review1597 Words   |  7 Page sObesity Literature review I. Introduction Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse affect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy. Child obesity has been increasing dramatically and it has become one of the most common chronic conditions for youngsters and its accompanied by several psychological effects. As for the children it might lead to being isolated and having peer problems and sense of discrimination fromRead MoreObesity : Obesity And Obesity1695 Words   |  7 Pageslifestyle. Obesity happens to be a serious issue. 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