The Impact of Obesity on Personal Identity

Personal identity is a complex and multidimensional concept that includes how individuals view themselves, their self-esteem, and their place in society. It is determined by a variety of factors, including physical appearance, social interactions, and personal experiences. One important factor that can affect individual choice of size is obesity. Obesity, the condition of excess body fat, has become a global health concern. It affects not only physical health but also mental and social well-being, shaping how individuals view themselves and others. This essay of mine delves into the impact of obesity on an individual’s identity, explores emotional struggles , body image dysfunction, social consequences, and possible coping and acceptance strategies.

Obesity is often a deep emotional struggle for individuals. Overweight people often face social stigma, discrimination, and negative stereotypes. Such experiences can damage self-esteem and self-worth, making it difficult to maintain a positive personal identity. The emotional toll of obesity can lead to self-blame and shame, which further complicates the process of developing a healthy self-image. Salas agrees with this statement sharing that, “Obesity is a stigmatized disease due to pervasive personal, professional, institutional, and cultural weight bias, Individuals with obesity experience weight bias across their lifespan and settings, which can affect their life chances and significantly impact health and social outcomes”(Salas, paragraph 1, sentences 1-3). Obesity can make a person feel hopeless and vulnerable, which can be an integral part of one’s own identity. The feeling of being judged solely on the basis of weight can overshadow other aspects of a person’s personality and create a self-image that focuses on status.

Body image is an important component of individual identity. It includes how individuals perceive their skin and how they feel about their bodies. Body image can be distorted for obese people. They may be viewed as less attractive, unfit, or different because of their weight. Saules agrees with this statement, sharing that, “Body image – most notably body dissatisfaction – has been prospectively implicated in binge eating and bulimic symptomatology, Research suggests that this particular body image construct contributes more to the prediction of binge eating than dietary restraint and its effect may be mediated by depression”(Saules, paragraph 3, sentences 1-6). Disorder can negatively impact self-confidence and self-acceptance and the media’s portrayal of stereotyped bodies can exacerbate body image issues leading to feelings of inadequacy. This external pressure to conform to society’s beauty standards can further distort one’s self-image, contributing to a negative personal identity.

Obesity can lead to social isolation, which directly impacts an individual’s identity. Overweight individuals may experience social discrimination and prejudice, which reduces feelings of isolation and sense of belonging. This isolation may interfere with the development of a positive self-concept, because it limits opportunities for social integrity and positive support. Klaczynski agrees with this statement, sharing that, “Particularly among Caucasian adolescents and adults (and even more so for women than for men), self-esteem and body self-esteem are clearly correlated, as Harter and others have argued, global self-esteem derives from self-esteem in specific domains, the more a culture emphasizes the importance of specific domains for life success, the more self-esteem in those domains will affect global self-esteem”(Klaczynski, slide 4, paragraph 2, sentences 1-9). In extreme cases obese individuals may withdraw from social activities and relationships for fear of judgment or discrimination. This withdrawal can reinforce negative self-concepts and contribute to a fragmented personal identity.

For some individuals, obesity is an important defining feature of their personal identity, especially if they struggle for a long time with a constant Battle of weight control, diet, and exercise that can shape their identity around health challenges. This leads to a sense of hopelessness, as they feel defined by their inability to overcome these challenges. Banwell agrees with this statement, sharing that, “Discussion of lifestyle tends to attribute health outcomes to personal choice and behavior, as if people were solitary individuals rather than socially and culturally situated actors engaging in meaningful social practices, it can neglect how personal behaviors are structured, constrained or encouraged”(Banwell, slide 16, paragraph 2, sentences 10-13). This evidence shows that recognizing obesity as a daily struggle with health can prevent individuals from pursuing other aspects of personal development and growth beyond their own weight. It can restrict their opportunities to be their authentic selves and prevent them from exploring other aspects of their identity.

Despite challenges, many obese individuals demonstrate remarkable resilience and develop coping strategies to navigate their experiences. Some individuals use their journey with obesity as a source of strength, developing a unique personal identity based on the ability to overcome adversity This resilience is a testament to the complexity and flexibility of personal identity and how it turns. I can prove this statement with evidence that I have found online that states, “Two possible explanations have gained currency: a reduction on the activity intensity of employment and sedentary lifestyles, yet although precise data on physical expenditure are poor and unevenly available, a consensus is emerging that these two explanations are inadequate to explain major shifts in obesity, careful analysis suggests that most or indeed all the increase in obesity is to be explained by increases in caloric consumption, rather than changes in physical activity”(Zimmerman, slide 3, paragraph 2, sentences 5-15). This evidence shows that access to support groups, therapy, and guidance from health professionals can be transformative for individuals who are overweight. These strategies can help individuals reconfigure their own identity, emphasizing strength and resilience rather than weight.

The impact of obesity on an individual’s identity is profound and multifaceted. This includes emotional struggles, distorted body image, social isolation, and in some cases, a different sense of identity associated with health challenges. However, it is important to recognize that weight is not the only determining factor in obesity. Personal identity is a dynamic concept that develops over time, is influenced by a variety of factors, and can be reshaped through self-acceptance, resilience, and support from society. Identifying strengths is also key to developing a positive self-image and facilitating their journey towards a healthier and more fulfilling individual identity.

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   Works Cited 

Source 1: Ximena Ramos Salas, Mary Forhan, Timothy Caulfield, Arya M. Sharma, Kim D. Raine. “Addressing Internalized Weight Bias and Changing Damaged Social Identities for People Living With Obesity.” Frontiers Journals, vol 10, no.1, 2019, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01409. Retrieved  17 October 2023.

Source 2: Karen K. Saules, Amy S. Coilings, Flora Hoodin, Nancy E. Angelella, Kevin Alschuler, Valentina Ivesaj, David Saunders-Scott, Ashley A. Wieldemann. “The contributions of weight problem perception, BMI, gender, mood, and smoking status to binge eating among college students.” Elsevier, vol 10, no.1, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2008.07.010. Retrieved 18 October 2023.

Source 3: Paul A. Klaczynski, Kristen W. Goold, Jeffrey J. Mudry. “Culture, Obesity Stereotypes, Self-Esteem, and the “Thin Ideal”: A Social Identity Perspective.” Springer Nature, vol 1, no.1, 2004,https://link-springer-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/article/10.1023/B%3AJOYO.0000032639.71472.19#Abs1. Retrieved 19 October 2023. 

Source 4: Cathy Banwell, Dorothy Broom, Anna Davies, Jane Dixon. “Weight of Modernity: An Intergenerational Study of the Rise of Obesity.” Springer Dordrecht, vol 1, no.1, 2012, https://link-springer-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/book/10.1007/978-90-481-8957-1#book-header. Retrieved 19 October 2023.

Source 5: Frederick J. Zimmerman. “Using Marketing Muscle to Sell Fat: The Rise of Obesity in the Modern Economy.” Annual review of public health, vol. 32, no.1, 2010, https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090810-182502.     Retrieved 20 October 2023.

Outline:

I.Thesis St: The rise of obesity has far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities and health systems, including physical health risks, economic burden and social inequality.

II.Fast Food

A.Benefits: Fast Food doesn’t give you any benefits to your physical health and actually increases your obesity so there are no benefits for me to name.

B.Harms: Fast Food impacts blood sugar and blood pressure, increases inflammmation and causes you to gain weight fast which later in life will be hard to lose and will make you gain weight to the point where you are obese.

III.Physical Health

A.Benefits: There are no benefits from obesity with physical health because you are ruining your body and your body will start to change and get worse due to obesity.

B.Harms: Obesity increases the risk of several debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers which affects your physical health severely.

IV.Fast Food Workers  

A.Benefits: Obesity benefits the fast food workers because they make money off the people that want to make themselves fat and they also never lose their jobs because of them.

B.Harms: Obesity can also harm the fast food workers because they can also get a lot of criticism and also judged by people that care about their health and they will tell them to stop working in these corrupted fast food restaurants for money.

V.Conclusion: In conclusion, obesity represents a major public health concern with many consequences. This chronic condition not only affects a person’s physical health, but also has a significant impact on their mental, social and economic well-being. Recognizing the complexity of this issue and taking the first steps to address it is essential to improving public health and individual well-being worldwide.