Emotionality and Attitude towards Body Size
A Cross-sectional Study among Adults in Mysore City
Abstract
Obesity not only poses significant physical health risks but also deeply influences emotional well-being and societal acceptance. This cross-sectional study conducted in Mysore city, India, explores the relationship between emotionality and attitudes towards body size. A diverse sample of 444 adults participated, representing various age groups, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Structured questionnaires were used to obtain the data on body weight perception, emotional experiences, and attitudes towards weight loss. Results reveal that while a significant portion of participants (males-35.4%; females- 41.7%), particularly overweight and obese individuals, express dissatisfaction with their appearance, a prevalent desire to lose exists (P=0.001). However, the actual participation in weight loss programs remains low (male-21.1%; female-30.7%), indicating a gap between aspiration and action. Reasons for non-participation include a lack of education on weight management and insufficient motivation. Importantly, participants who did engage in weight loss programs reported high rates of relapse, with common reasons including reverting to previous lifestyles and lack of motivation. The study suggests a need for more effective weight regulation programs that incorporate education, exercise, and dietary interventions. Governmental and non-governmental efforts, alongside media campaigns, are essential in fostering a supportive environment for sustainable weight management and emotional well-being in Indian populations.
Downloads
References
S. Westland. Being large: An investigation into the lived world of problematic weight in women. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, vol. 10, pp. 1-15, 2020.
B. M. Haga. Existential experiences of living with obesity perspectives from the views of individuals and health professionals: A qualitative study. University of Stavanger, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stavanger, 2020
M. Safaei, E. A. Sundararajan, M. Driss, W. Boulila and A. Shapi’i. A systematic literature review on obesity: Understanding the causes and consequences of obesity and reviewing various machine learning approaches used to predict obesity. Computers in Biology and Medicine, vol. 136, p. 104754, 2021.
L. J. Weaver and C. B. Fasel. A systematic review of the literature on the relationships between chronic diseases and food insecurity. Food and Nutrition Sciences, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 519-541, 2018.
R. Sagar and T. Gupta. Psychological aspects of obesity in children and adolescents. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 85, pp. 554-559, 2018.
E. Bianciardi, G. Di Lorenzo, C. Niolu, S. Betrò, F. Zerbin, P. Gentileschi and A. Siracusano. Body image dissatisfaction in individuals with obesity seeking bariatric surgery: Exploring the burden of new mediating factors. Rivista di Psichiatria, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 8-17, 2019.
E. Zanella and E. Lee. Integrative review on psychological and social risk and prevention factors of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Seven major theories. Heliyon, vol. 8, no. 11, p. e11422, 2022.
S. Westbury, O. Oyebode, T. Van Rens and T. M. Barber. Obesity stigma: Causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Current Obesity Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 10-23, 2023.
M. Myre, N. M. Glenn and T. R. Berry. Exploring the impact of physical activity-related weight stigma among women with self-identified obesity. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 586-603, 2021.
J. E. Pachankis, M. L. Hatzenbuehler, K. Wang, C. L. Burton, F. W. Crawford, J. C. Phelan and B. G. Link. The burden of stigma on health and well-being: A taxonomy of concealment, course, disruptiveness, aesthetics, origin, and peril across 93 stigmas. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 451- 474, 2018.
A. Brewis and A. Wutich. Lazy, Crazy, and Disgusting: Stigma and the Undoing of Global Health. Johns Hopkins University Press, United States, 2019.
H. O. Ahmed and A. Muhialdeen. Link of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to overweight patients and patients with obesity in two obesity centers-Sulaimani Governorate-Kurdistan-Iraq, prospective case study series. Technium BioChemMed, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 25-34, 2021.
B. Shahrokhisahneh, N. O. Mahmoud, R. Najmadin, A. H. Abdulwahab, and S. S. Hamasalh. Knowledge and awareness towards food drug interaction among pharmacists in Erbil city. Cihan University-Erbil Scientific Journal, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 19-25, 2024.
L. Newson and J. Abayomi. Reframing interventions for optimal child nutrition and childhood obesity: The importance of considering psychological factors. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, pp. 1-31, 2024.
M. Merino, J. F. Tornero-Aguilera, A. Rubio-Zarapuz, C. V. Villanueva-Tobaldo, A. Martín-Rodríguez and V. J. Clemente- Suárez. Body perceptions and psychological well-being: A review of the impact of social media and physical measurements on self-esteem and mental health with a focus on body image satisfaction and its relationship with cultural and gender factors. Healthcare (Basel), vol. 12, p. 1396, 2024.
B. Shahrokhisahneh. Obesogenic Food cues and increasing body weight among adults’ male and female: A cross-sectional study in Mysore city in South India. Age, vol. 27, no. 36, pp. 61-64, 2024.
B. Kumolu-Johnson. Improving service quality in the fast-food service industry. Journal of Service Science and Management, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 55-74, 2024.
J. M. Jurek and A. Maruda. The role of emotional eating as relief mechanism from psychological distress and its impact on overall wellbeing. Debates em Psiquiatria, vol. 14, pp. 1-23, 2024.
B. Talumaa, A. Brown, R. L. Batterham and A. Z. Kalea. Effective strategies in ending weight stigma in healthcare. Obesity Reviews, vol. 23, no. 10, p. e13494, 2022.
J. A. Ashmore, K. E. Friedman, S. K. Reichmann and G. J. Musante. Weight-based stigmatization, psychological distress, and binge eating behavior among obese treatment-seeking adults. Eating Behaviors, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 203-209, 2008.
A. Misra and L. Khurana. Obesity-related non-communicable diseases: South Asians vs White Caucasians. International Journal of Obesity, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 167-187, 2011.
S. Yadav, K. V. Moyon and D. Bhanot. Appearance teasing and identity formation amongst young adults: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Qualitative Report, vol. 28, no. 12, pp. 3647-3676, 2023.
A. Shaghaghi, R. S. Bhopal and A. Sheikh. Approaches to recruiting “hard-to-reach” populations into research: A review of the literature. Health Promot Perspect, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 86-94, 2011.
J. Gormally, S. Black, S. Daston and D. Rardin. The assessment of binge eating severity among obese persons. Addictive Behaviors, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 47-55, 1982.
J. Ogden and S. Sidhu. Adherence, behavior change, and visualization: A qualitative study of the experiences of taking an obesity medication. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 545-552, 2006.
R. R. Wing and S. Phelan. Long-term weight loss maintenance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 222S-225S, 2005.
R. Goodman, H. Meltzer and V. Bailey. The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study on the validity of the self report version. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 125-130, 1998.
M. D. C. Tongco. Purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, vol. 5, pp. 147- 158, 2007.
J. Kotrlik and C. Higgins. Organizational research: Determining appropriate sample size in survey research appropriate sample size in survey research. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 43-50, 2001.
R. Ahirwar and P. R. Mondal. Prevalence of obesity in India: A systematic review. Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 318-321, 2019.
M. De Domingo Bartolomé and J. López Guzmán. La estigmatización social de la obesidad. Cuad Bioét, vol. 25, pp. 273-284, 2014.
V. Swami, D. A. Frederick, T. Aavik, L. Alcalay, J. Allik, D. Anderson, S. Andrianto, A. Arora, A. Brännström, J. Cunningham, D. Danel, K. Doroszewicz, G. B. Forbes, A. Furnham, C. U Greven, J. Halberstadt, S. Hao, T. Haubner, C. S. Hwang, M. Inman., & I. Zivcic-Becirevic. The attractive female body weight and female body dissatisfaction in 26 countries across 10 world regions: Results of the International Body Project I. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 309-325, 2010.
V. Swami. Cultural influences on body size ideals. Unpacking the impact of Westernization and modernization. European Psychologist, vol. 20, pp. 44-51, 2015.
H. Dittmar, E. Halliwell and E. Stirling. Understanding the impact of thin media models on women’s body-focused affect: The roles of thin-ideal internalization and weight-related self-discrepancy activation in experimental exposure effects. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 43-72, 2009.
M. Tiggemann and A. McCourt. Body appreciation in adult women: Relationships with age and body satisfaction. Body Image, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 624-627, 2013.
K. Elfhag and S. Rössner. Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain. Obesity Reviews, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 67-85, 2005.
K. J. Okop, F. C. Mukumbang, T. Mathole, N. Levitt and T. Puoane. Perceptions of body size, obesity threat and the willingness to lose weight among black South African adults: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, vol. 16, p. 365, 2016.
M. Spreckley, J. Seidell and J. Halberstadt. Perspectives into the experience of successful, substantial long-term weight loss maintenance: A systematic review. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 1862481, 2021.
B. Binsaeed, F. G. Aljohani, F. F. Alsobiai, M. Alraddadi, A. A. Alrehaili, B. S. Alnahdi, F. S. Almotairi, M. A. Jumah and A. T. Alrehaili. Barriers and motivators to weight loss in people with obesity. Cureus, vol. 15, no. 11, p. e49040, 2023.
C. Greaves, L. Poltawski, R. Garside and S. Briscoe. Understanding the challenge of weight loss maintenance: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research on weight loss maintenance. Health Psychology Review, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 145-163, 2017.
J. A. Lee and C. J. Pausé. Stigma in practice: Barriers to health for fat women. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, p. 2063, 2016.
K. Ball and D. Crawford. Socioeconomic status and weight change in adults: A review. Social Science and Medicine, vol. 60, no. 9, pp. 1987-2010, 2005.
P. S. MacLean, R. R. Wing, T. Davidson, L. Epstein, B. Goodpaster, K. D. Hall, B. E. Levin, M. G. Perri, B. J. Rolls, M. Rosenbaum, A. J. Rothman and D. Ryan. NIH working group report: Innovative research to improve maintenance of weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring), vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 7-15, 2015.
L. P. Svetkey, V. J. Stevens, P. J. Brantley, L. J. Appel, J. F. Hollis, C. M. Loria, W. M. Vollmer, C. M. Gullion, K. Funk, P. Smith, C. Samuel-Hodge, V. Myers, L. F. Lien, D. Laferriere, B. Kennedy, G. J. Jerome, F. Heinith, D. W. Harsha, P. Evans, T. P. Erlinger, A. T. Dalcin, J. Coughlin, J. Charleston, C. M. Champagne, A. Bauck, J. D. Ard and K. Aicher. Comparison of strategies for sustaining weight loss: The weight loss maintenance randomized controlled trial. JAMA, vol. 299, no. 10, pp. 1139-1148, 2008.
B. Verplanken and S. Orbell. Attitudes, habits, and behavior change. Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 327-352, 2022.
T. A. Wadden, J. S. Tronieri and M. L. Butryn. Lifestyle modification approaches for the treatment of obesity in adults. American Psychologist, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 235-251, 2020.
S. L. Turner, A. M. Thomas, P. J. Wagner and G. C. Moseley. A collaborative approach to wellness: Diet, exercise, and education to impact behavior change. Journal of the American Association
Copyright (c) 2025 Behnaz Shahrokhisahneh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
