Obesity and Self Esteem

Obesity is a more than a physical illness. It starts as a physical illness by impacting your body and stressing the joints, heart and other organs. However, it expands far beyond that. Obesity affects the psyche of a person, changing the way they feel about their self-image, personality and more.

Self-esteem tends to be the area of one’s psyche that is most impacted by weight gain. According to Sean G. Connolly of the Obesity Action Coalition, “self-esteem is born within us.” He describes that upon gaining weight people tend to “become [more] aware of how important it is to begin to meet the expectations of others.” He states that weight gain makes people more self-conscious about their presence around others and they start to judge their self-worth based on that. As well as acquiring a desire to be accepted by others, people’s own acceptability of themselves is tainted  when obesity diminishes their health and self-image.

The primary effect of obesity harming self-esteem is that people lose motivation and confidence. Self-esteem drives people’s actions because people usually act based on the way they feel. If someone feels loved, approved of, and cared for they will tend to be more active in their work, family, and personal life. However, if people feel down about themselves it inhibits them from confidently pursuing their desires.

From the workplace to hobbies and family life, people with high self-esteem tend to function more optimally. Thus, when an opportunity to increase self-esteem exists, more times than not it is reasonable to take it. Obesity is incredibly taxing on one’s life. The body is put through the ringer which takes a toll on the mind. However, obesity and all of its repercussions can be cured and reversed. With bariatric surgery, people’s lives can be completely turned around so that they can have the body they desire and feel confident in their own skin.-Jamie Clarke