Evaluation of self-esteem and body image of obese persons

Nowadays, physical and mental health are known as the concept which are linked with each others. As holistic structure, individulas's physical and mental health conditions needs to be taken into account with it's social and intellectual aspects. The concept of body includes individual's perception and knowledge regarding with external appearance and internal structure of the body. The obesity is evaluated as psychosomatic disease and thought that there is need for multidimensional therapy approach for its treatment. Self-esteem and body image are close meaning concepts and affected with each other in cause and effect relationship. This study is a research planed as descriptive which aims to investigate the affects of obesity over the level of self-esteem and body image according to BMI status. In research, as data collection method, it is used Data Sheet, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and Body Image Scale. The Statistical analysis of data collected is performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences 17 Version). 816 person is included into the study. As result of the study, the significant relationship was found between gender, average age, marital status, working status, alcohol use which are groups constituted according to BMI. The average value of Rosenberg Self-Esteem for the participants included the study is 10,98 ± 6,09 (range: 0,00-30,00). According to the BMI category it is found that; when 'the obesity level' increases, 'the level of self-esteem' decreases. The avarage value of body image for the participants is 107,24 ± 23,13 (range:0,00-200,00). According to the BMI category when the obesity level increases, 'the level of body image' decreases. As well as when 'the percieved body weight' increases, 'the level of body image' also decreases. Additionally the self-esteem and the body image correlates within all sub-groups. When examining the reason that causes the low level of self-esteem and the body image; For the self-esteem; except BMI education, alcohol use, employment status and age is shown to be effective; For body image; except BMI age and perceived level of income is shown to be effective.