2017

Why does Obesity Lower Self-

Esteem?

Francesca Baca
Kids Fit
11/8/2017
Introduction:
Through previous research, I have found
that obesity is an issue in the United States.
The American Heart Institute said that one
in three children are considered overweight
according to a BMI test. A Body Mass Index
test is determined by taking an individuals
height, weight and gender and using a BMI
chart to classify the individual. The typical
classifications on a BMI test include:
underweight, average, overweight, and
obese. In Figure one, The American Heart
Institute lists statistics describing the effects
that obesity has on Americans. Obesity has
many health risks including diabetes, high
blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and high and
low cholesterol. The health risks can be very
detrimental to a child. In Figure 2 the Figure 1: Risk Factors of Obesity
American Heart Institute uses visuals to
show the main causes of obesity. Obesity is
caused by a variety of factors including:
accessibility to fast food, lack of physical
activity, and the overuse of media. It is
evident that obesity is a huge issue in the
United States and especially with our
younger generations. Obesity can be harmful
to our future generations physical health,
but what I want to understand better is the
effects obesity has on a childs self-esteem.

Figure 2: The causes of Obesity

Methodology:
I conducted my research by using secondary resources such as peer reviewed articles, scholarly
papers, and organizations research. To ensure my research was reliable I used the University of
New Mexicos library databases. The database that I was able to find the majority of my
information from was Academic Search Complete. Through the database I found several peer
reviewed articles about childhood obesity. Some of the statistics that I found came from well-
known medical associations. Some limitations for my research are that self- esteem can be
effected by many different aspects of a persons life, not just their physical fitness level or their
BMI. Some other factors that can effect self-esteem could be social economic status, a childs
upbringing, or other body image issues unrelated to obesity.

Research:
The primary reasons for low self-esteem in overweight children are:
Bullying
Medias unrealistic images of the average person

Bullying:
According to the Obesity Action Coalition, overweight middle schoolers completed a national
survey that informed researchers that 54% of participants have received harassment because of
their weight; additionally 58% of high school boys and 63% of high school girls reported being
bullying because of their size. Bullying comes in many different forms, today cyber bullying has
become a larger issue because of the frequent use of social media sites. There is also a form of
bullying that is physical, where the victim has been physically harmed by the bully. Another
form of bullying is verbal bullying where the attacker uses words to hurt the victim. When
people are bullied because of their weight it is typically done verbally with name calling.
Effects of Bullying:
According to Bullying Statistics, children that have been victims to bullying are 2 to 9 times
more likely to consider suicide compared to someone who has not been a victim to bullying.
Underweight models:
Our media today displays advertisements with models whom are at an unhealthy weight.
Children and adults are exposed to unrealistic body images when they are viewing models that
are typically known for having eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia. Instead of
portraying an average person in the United States, the media hires models who are usually
suffering from anorexia or bulimia. According to Spitzer, 99% of Playboy models are
underweight (Spitzer, Henderson, & Zivian, 1999). Similarly Ahern found that 100% of Miss
America pageant winners were classified as underweight (Ahern, 2008). Additionally 29% of
Playboy models and 17% of pageant winners have a body mass index of less than 17.5, which
would meet the qualifications for anorexia (Ahern, 2008).
Effects of underweight models:
Chojnacki, Grant, Maguire, and Regan conducted a study on the effects that underweight models
have on women. Their study concluded that 70% of women have negative thoughts about their
body because of underweight models.

Discussion:
Bullying:
Through my research I found that majority of students have been bullied sometime in their life.
Bullying can hurt a childs confidence and can eventually lead a student to fear going to school.
Being overweight can make a child a target to bullies. Some examples of the names overweight
kids may be referred to by a bully may include fat, chubby, or pig. Name calling can affect
someones self-esteem because it hurts their confidence and may decrease their idea of self-
worth. Also when a child is frequently called a certain name, they may start to believe that the
unkind words told to them are true.
Underweight models:
Typically models are depicted as tall and extremely skinny. When children are constantly
viewing advertisements of only skinny people, it can make the child feel as if they dont belong.
When a child feels as if they dont belong or as if they are different from everyone else, they can
develop a low self-esteem. The results I found regarding the health of models shows that the
advertisements are portraying an unrealistic idea of the average person. Underweight models
can affect any viewers self-esteem. Someone who may be at a healthy BMI might develop self-
esteem issues by comparing themselves to the models they see in magazines or on television.
Additionally, someone who is overweight may lose hope in their weight loss journey because the
medias portrayal of the average person may feel out of reach to them. Below are two examples
of advertisements, one portrays average women and the other advertisement shows the more
commonly used underweight models.
Healthy Models vs. Unhealthy Models:
Above is a Levi advertisement that differed from typical advertisements because they had
models of a variety of shapes and sizes. If more companies went for this approach in advertising,
people would not feel as bad about their body image. This advertisement is relatable because in
reality everyone holds their weight and curves differently.
Unfortunately, majority of companies choose to have models that fit the body image as seen
below. Below is an example of a typical model that we are exposed to in advertisements. Models
are used to create an idea of beauty. If viewers compare themselves to the medias idea of
beauty, they wont be satisfied until they reach the extremely low BMI that these models have.
Instead of people comparing themselves to someone who isnt healthy, models should be at the
average BMI mark so viewers can develop realistic expectations.
Recommendations:
Through my research, I have found that medias perception on the average human is
unrealistic. Children are primarily exposed to media through television. According to the
American Heart Institute, children sitting down watching television for long periods of time has
bedome a primary factor leading to obesity. My recommendation is that children should spend
less time watching television because it will lower the amount of time sitting down which will
eventually help the childs health; less television use will also reduce the amount of exposure to
unrealistic body images. I also recommend children join a sports team or any program that
promotes physical activity. Sports programs show kids how physical activity can be a fun and
teaches inactive or overweight children that a lifestyle change doesnt have to be a chore.
Joining a fitness program will help a childs physical health while helping them socially engage
with other individuals with similar goals to theirs. I also recommend that schools inform students
on the effects of bullying. If more people lived by the golden rule of treat others the way you
want to be treated we would have less bullying incidents. Lastly, I recommend keeping a
positive attitude; if you are starting your weight loss journey, or trying to gain confidence at the
weight you are already at, a positive attitude will make it easier to build self-confidence.
 References

Ahern, A. L., Bennett, K. M., & Hetherington, M. M. (2008). Internalization of the Ultra-Thin
Ideal: Positive Implicit Associations with Underweight Fashion Models are Associated with
Drive for Thinness in Young Women. Eating Disorders, 16(4), 294-307.
doi:10.1080/10640260802115852

Allen, K., Zubrick, S., Byrne, S., Gibson, L., Blair, E., Davis, E., & ... Byrne, S. M. (2017). The
psychosocial burden of childhood overweight and obesity: evidence for persisting difficulties in
boys and girls. European Journal Of Pediatrics, 176(7), 925-933. doi:10.1007/s00431-017-2931-

Bullying and Suicide. (2015, July 07). Retrieved December 05, 2017, from
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html

Chojnacki, M., Grant, C., Maguire, K., & Regan, K. (n.d.). Depleting Body Imaes. Retrieved
from https://ssc.wisc.edu/~jpiliavi/357/body-image.htm.

Griffiths, L. J., Parsons, T. J., & Hill, A. J. (2010). Self-esteem and quality of life in obese
children and adolescents: A systematic review. International Journal Of Pediatric Obesity, 5(4),
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Obesity Action Coalition BULLYING, Bullycide and Childhood Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved
November 19, 2017, from http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-
2/childhood-obesity-resource-articles/bullying-bullycide-and-childhood-obesity

(n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2017, from

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/WeightManagement/Obesity/Obesity-
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Spitzer, B., Henderson, K. A., & Zivian, M. T. (1999). Gender differences in population versus
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The Skinny on Models. (2007). Current Events, 106(15), 7.