Obesity and Self Esteem

Obesity and Self Esteem

Introduction

Obesity is a growing health problem affecting children in the United States. The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past 10 years across virtually all populations and age groups. Recent data suggest that 15 percent of U.S. children are severely overweight or obese (National Center for Health Statistics, 2002). Obese children are at risk for significant health problems, but also face many psychological and social consequences, including low self-esteem. Children who are obese face an increased risk of emotional problems lasting well into adulthood. Factors such as peer rejection, weight-related teasing, and internalized social standards play a major role in diminishing an obese child's self-esteem. Self-esteem affects numerous aspects of health and behavior including social adjustment, activity engagement, goal direction, and the presence of anxiety. Furthermore, low self-esteem has been associated with depression and suicidal ideas(Harter & Marold, 1994). The purpose of this study is to examine the effect obesity has on children's self-esteem, as rated by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, 2nd Edition.

Self-Esteem Defined

Throughout the past one hundred years, a vast amount of theory and research has been devoted to the construct and manifestation of self-esteem. There has also been a great deal of difficulty in trying to reach an agreement on the nature of self-esteem, due to the fact that it has been approached from several different theoretical perspectives. Some have seen it as a psychodynamic, developmental process while others have approached it from the perspective of the cognitive-behaviorist in terms of various coping strategies. Self-esteem has also been viewed from the position of a social psychologist in terms of attitudes, while others have focused on the experiential dimensions of self-esteem as a humanistic psychologist. Since self-esteem has both psychological and sociological dimensions, this has made it difficult to determine a comprehensive definition (Leary, 1999).

Nevertheless, theorists and psychologists from various orientations agree on the importance self-esteem holds in regards to psychological adjustment. There is also a general agreement that the term 'self-esteem' includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral elements. It is cognitive as the individual consciously thinks about him or herself and considers the discrepancy between his/her ideal self, the person he/she wishes to be, and the perceived self or the realistic appraisal of how he or she sees him or herself. The affective element refers to the feelings or emotions that the individual has when considering that discrepancy. The behavioral aspects of self-esteem are manifested in such behaviors as assertiveness, resilience, being decisive, and being respectful of others (Leary, Schreindorfer, & Haupt, 1995). Thus, self-esteem is difficult to define because of these multiple dimensions.

Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D. defined self-esteem as “The disposition to experience oneself as being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life and of being worthy of happiness (1969, p. 35).” As defined by Bednar, Wells, and Peterson (1989),self-esteem is “A subjective and realistic self approval(p. 4).” They suggest that self-esteem “reflects how the individual views and values the self at the most fundamental levels ...