Abstract
Introduction: Obesity is a public health challenge. Over the past few years, interest in the psychological determinants of obesity among women has increased. These determinants are related to stress, coping styles, emotions, eating disorders and mood. Many studies indicate that they can affect eating behavior and translate into physical activity levels, which can result in excessive body weight and lead to obesity. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of psychological determinants (stress, emotional disturbances, unhealthy eating habits) on the incidence of obesity in women. Material and methods: 232 women participated in the study, but due to the inclusion criterion not being met, two hundred questionnaires were finally analyzed. The inclusion criterion for the study was female gender, age above 18 years, prevalence of obesity or normal weight. The survey used the CAWI method. This is a method that uses computer and Internet technology. The survey was conducted, using a proprietary questionnaire. Based on BMI, the respondents were divided into two groups: women with obesity and women with normal weight (comparison group). The data was collected and processed in an MS Excel database and the resulting data was analyzed using basic descriptive methods. Results: The 200 women studied were in the age range of 18-59 years. In both the obese and normal weight groups, the largest number of women were in the 18-29 age range. Respondents with obesity were more likely to declare that they were/are dieting and starving, that they regularly smoke cigarettes, that they are marked by lower levels of physical activity, that they consume a greater amount of highly processed food under the influence of negative emotions, that the negative emotions they feel translate into greater food consumption, that they do not feel attractive, that they dislike many parts of their bodies, and that they would be afraid of someone else's evaluation of their appearance, compared to normal weight women. No significant differences were noted, between the groups, about the amount of food consumed and the level of sociability. Conclusions: There are noticeable correlations, between psychological determinants and obesity. However, it is not possible to say conclusively whether it is the psychological determinants that have a greater impact on the incidence of obesity, or vice versa. Further research is needed on this issue, which would be helpful and effective in preventing and treating the spreading obesity epidemic, including among men.
References
WHO. Obesity and overweight [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2025. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight.
Guh DP, Zhang W, Bansback N, Amarsi Z, Birmingham CL, Anis AH. The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC public health. 2009;9:88.
Lovejoy JC. The influence of sex hormones on obesity across the female life span. Journal of Women's Health. 1998;7(10):1247–1256.
Konttinen H, Männistö S, Sarlio-Lähteenkorva S, Silventoinen K, Haukkala A. Emotional eating, depressive symptoms and self-reported food consumption. A population-based study. Appetite. 2010;54(3):473–479.
B W. Mindless eating: Why we eat more than we think. New York, NY: Bantam Books; 2006.
Macht M. How emotions affect eating: A five-way model. Appetite. 2008;50(1):1–11.
Adam TC, Epel ES. Stress, eating and the reward system. Physiology & behavior. 2007;91(4):449–458.
Sinha R, Jastreboff AM. Stress as a common risk factor for obesity and addiction. Biological psychiatry. 2013;73(9):827–835.
Luppino FS, de Wit LM, Bouvy PF, Stijnen T, Cuijpers P, Penninx BW, et al. Overweight, obesity, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Archives of general psychiatry. 2010;67(3):220–229.
Lillis J, Hayes SC, Levin ME. Binge Eating and Weight Control: The Role of Experiential Avoidance. Behavior Modification. 2011;35(3):252–264. DOI: 10.1177/0145445510397178.
Van Strien T. Causes of emotional eating and matched treatment of obesity. Current diabetes reports. 2018;18:35.
Aj S, WJ G, HG W. The night-eating syndrome; a pattern of food intake among certain obese patients. The American Journal of Medicine. 1955;19(1):78–86.
Gormally J, Black S, Daston S, Rardin D. The assessment of binge eating severity among obese persons. Addictive Behaviors. 1982;7(1):47–55. DOI: 10.1016/0306-4603(82)90024-7.
Pietrzykowska E, Wierusz-Wysocka B. Psychologiczne aspekty nadwagi, otyłości i odchudzania się. Pol Merk Lek. 2008;24(143):472.
Keys A, Brožek J, Henschel A, Mickelsen O, Taylor HL. The biology of human starvation.(2 vols). Minneapolis, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press; 1950.
Kalm LM, Semba RD. They starved so that others be better fed: remembering Ancel Keys and the Minnesota experiment. The Journal of nutrition. 2005;135(6):1347–1352.
Kłósek P. Zależności między stresem psychologicznym a powstawaniem otyłości. Forum Medycyny Rodzinnej. 2016;10(3):145–152.
Thayer RE, Newman JR, McClain TM. Self-regulation of mood: strategies for changing a bad mood, raising energy, and reducing tension. Journal of personality and social psychology. 1994;67(5):910–925.
Leszczyńska S, Błażejewska K, Lewandowska-Klafczyńska K, Rycielski P. Emotions and eating behavior in women aged 18-30 years. Endokrynologia, Otyłość i Zaburzenia Przemiany Materii. 2011;7(3):167–171.
Corsica JA, Spring BJ. Carbohydrate craving: a double-blind, placebo-controlled test of the self-medication hypothesis. Eating Behaviors. 2008;9(4):447–454.
Stetkiewicz-Lewandowicz A, Wychowałek S, Sobów T. Emocjonalne aspekty zachowań żywieniowych. Problemy Higieny i Epidemiologii. 2017;98(2):154–155.
Brytek-Matera A C-BK, Modrzejewska A. The relationship between eating patterns, body image and emotional dysregulation: Similarities between an excessive and normal body weight sample. Psychiatria Polska. 2021;55:1065–1078.
Krupa-Kotara K, Grajek M, Rozmiarek M, Malchrowicz-Mośko E, Staśkiewicz W, León-Guereño P, et al. The Role of Social Media in Internalizing Body Knowledge—A Cross-Sectional Study among Women with Different Food Preferences. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023;20(3):2069.
Leksy K. Wpływ czasowego zaangażowania w media społecznościowe młodych dorosłych na zachowania związane z wyglądem ciała. Studia Edukacyjne. 2022(65):99–116. DOI: 10.14746/se.2022.65.7.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Małgorzata Słoma-Krześlak, Beata Nowak, Mateusz Grajek, Karolina Krupa-Kotara (Author)