Life Satisfaction and Obesity Across the Lifespan: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Life dissatisfaction is linked to maladaptive coping mechanisms like compulsive eating, especially in resource-limited settings.
• Obesity risk is influenced by the interplay of life satisfaction, psychological factors, and sociostructural elements.
• Weight perception's role across the lifespan in this interplay is a key area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how life satisfaction interacts with psychological and sociostructural factors in influencing obesity risk.
• To specifically examine the role of weight perception across the lifespan.
• To understand the influence of gender, geography, and cultural differences.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted using Covidence for data extraction.
• 83 studies were included after an extensive review process.
• A qualitative synthesis approach was employed, analyzing effects of age, gender, geographical/racio-ethnic, and cultural differences.

Main Results:

• Life satisfaction was more strongly predicted by weight perception than by BMI or objective weight status across the lifespan.
• Females exhibited greater vulnerability to negative weight perception, impacting life satisfaction more than males.
• Psychological burden of perceived body image drives dissatisfaction, irrespective of clinical weight categories, influenced by gender, geography, and culture.

Conclusions:

• Obesity can be understood through a biopsychosocial framework, with weight perception affecting life satisfaction and health behaviors.
• Interventions targeting psychosocial well-being and reframing weight perception, particularly for young females, may prevent maladaptive eating and obesity.
• Future obesity interventions should incorporate life meaning, personality traits, and perceived body image for better targeting of at-risk populations.