Self Esteem, Mental Wellbeing and Self Objectification in Obese and Normal Weight College Going Students

Abstract

Background: Obesity is extremely contagious to mental health. Some gruesome mental health issues are associated with obesity. An investigation is essentially required to understand the effect of obesity on young adults and to build up interventions and techniques to help those affected. Aim: To study mental well-being, self-esteem and self-objectification among obese and normal weight college students. Method: A purposive sample of 100 college going students with age ranging between 18-24 years of males and females were taken. Individual participants were administered a set of self-administered questionnaires, viz., Rosenberg self-esteem scale, short Warwick Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale and self -objectification questionnaire for data collection. Results: The analyses of data indicated that there is significant difference in Self Esteem, Mental Wellbeing and Self objectification between obese and normal weight college going students. (p=0.05) and the examined constructs (Self-esteem, Mental wellbeing and Self objectification in both the groups; obese and normal weight college going students) were negatively correlated with mental wellbeing and self-objectification in obese college going students. Results also indicated that no correlation exists between mental wellbeing, self-esteem and Self objectification in normal weight college going students. Conclusion: Deficits in Self-Esteem, Mental wellbeing and Self -Objectification are associated with the weight of the students. Obese students report lower levels of Self-Esteem, Mental Wellbeing and Self -Objectification as compared to their normal weight counterparts. Also, there is an inverse relationship between Mental Wellbeing and Self objectification in obese students meaning increase in one variable is connected with decrease in another.