Effects of Obesity

The effects of obesity include the medical co-morbidities, the psychological effects, the social effects and the effects on society as a whole.

Psychological Effects

Very overweight and obese people have reduced psychological health. Their self-esteem and social interaction may be impaired, they may have a poor body image and anxiety and depression.

Many studies show that depression is especially present in females who are obese and that there is more depression present in those who are obese than persons of normal weight. Studies have also shown that binge eating is common amongst severely obese adolescents and is related to high levels of anxiety and depression, as well as to low levels of self-esteem and body attitude.

A young female is more vulnerable to the psychological effects and is more likely to exhibit abnormal behaviour such as binge-eating.

Social Effects

Obese people suffer from prejudice and discrimination in many situations. Society can have a negative opinion of overweight and obese people and they can be perceived in a negative way. They can encounter prejudice and discrimination in, for example, the fields of employment travel, schooling, healthcare, retail and so on.

They may have great difficulty in buying clothes and fitting into seats on planes, incurring extra costs in requiring tailor-made clothes and double seats when travelling. Difficulty in getting or keeping a job (with reduced pay and promotion prospects) may lead to poverty reinforced low self-esteem and reduced quality of life.

Effects on Society

As well as detrimental effect on the individual, obesity places a financial burden on society as a whole. There is a huge cost to the economy from obesity-related ill-health, premature retirement, unemployment, premature death, benefit payments, productivity and loss of working days. The direct and indirect costs of obesity in England (2002) have been conservatively estimated at £3.3 to £3.7 billion. With the rise in obesity, this figure is likely to increase.

Reference: House of Commons Health Committee 2004.

Amended April 2008