Obesity (Sometimes) Matters: The Importance of Context in the Relationship between Obesity and Life Satisfaction

Previous research has established the negative influence of obesity on subjective well-being. In the present work, the authors use multilevel modeling and Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System data (N = 1,319,340) to examine how this relationship is influenced by the prevalence of obesity in the contexts in which individuals are living and how such relationships vary by gender. The results suggest that some of the influence of obesity on life satisfaction is the result of relative comparison. Implications for both our understanding of the growing "obesity epidemic" and the study of subjective well-being are discussed.