Psychosocial Factors
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Mfon ObotPsychosocial Factors
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Mfon ObotPsychosocial Impact
These refer to features that can psychologically and/or socially impact recovery of
the individual (Thomas et al., 2020). Examples are social disruption, status,
integration, social support, bereavement, and environment. Psychologically, obesity
often goes hand in hand with mental health challenges which includes low self-
esteem, body image issues, anxiety, and even depression (Steptoe and Frank,
2023). Segal and Gunturu (2024) argue that overweightness can bring about a range
of mental health issues, which can be further exacerbated by stigma and
discrimination obese people are confronted with in society. Even the associated
health challenges can place a strain on mental well-being. Sarah’s long-standing
battle with dieting compounded with environmental factors like poor housing would
reduce her self-esteem and resilience. Further on, her conditions as a mother
approaching middle age and raising three young children in a deprived neighborhood
and without assistance nor steady income from employment creates stress. Stress is
a variation of psychological discomfort and seen to be an enabling factor to weight
gain by interfering with cognitive processes such as self-regulation (Kumar, Rizvi,
and Saraswat, 2023). This leads to behavioural extremes such as binge eating or
indulgence in high calorific, sugary and fatty food. Stress can also heighten peptides
and biochemical hormones generation such as neuropeptide Y and leptin in which at
high levels lessens the brain’s resistance to food regulation (Dornbush and Aeddula,
2023).