Impact of Obesity on Life Satisfaction of Adults

Abstract

Obesity is a growing public health concern that negatively affects not only physical health but also psychological well-being and overall quality of life. Life satisfaction represents an individual’s subjective evaluation of their life as a whole and is influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors. The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of life satisfaction among obese adults and to compare life satisfaction between Type-I and Type-III obese adults. A total sample of 420 obese adults (210 males and 210 females), aged 25–35 years, was selected from Patna, Bihar using purposive sampling. Participants were categorized into Type-I (BMI 30–34), Type-II (BMI 35–39), and Type-III (BMI ≥40) obesity groups. In this General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) was used for screening the heath status of obese adults and only healthy adults were selected. Data was collected using a Personal Data Questionnaire and the Life Satisfaction Scale developed by Promila Singh and George Joseph (2013). Results revealed that the majority of obese adults (56.9%) exhibited an average level of life satisfaction, while 43.1% reported low life satisfaction; nobody felt higher level of life satisfaction. The present study also revealed a significant difference in life satisfaction between Type-I and Type-III obese adults (t = 55.65, p < 0.01). The findings indicate that increasing severity of obesity is associated with poorer life satisfaction.