Studies on The Psychological Effects of Obesity on Athletes, Including Issues Related to Self-Esteem, Body Image and Mental Health

Abstract

Obesity is increasingly seen as a complex condition affecting both physical, psychological, and social well-being. While physical health and its consequences have been very well understood in research relating to obesity, the psychological impacts remain less analyzed, especially among athletes. Athletes are under a lot of pressure; their visibility, physical expectations of them by others, and cultural stereotypes make the psychological effects of obesity grave in this population. This research will dwell on the mental impacts of obesity among athletes by considering self-esteem, body image, and mental health as the development of an understanding in respect of how obesity has come to influence the state of psychology among athletes and probably different from non-athletes. It purports to contribute to the literature on mental health and body image in sport by identifying and analyzing such effects and proposing mitigating strategies for the adverse outcomes of obesity in athletic contexts. The study brings out individual experiences of obese athletes and contributes to the broader discussions about diversity and inclusion in sport, challenging the dominant narratives that make certain body types desirable. This thus forms a starting point for further investigations into the interplay between obesity, psychological health, and athletic performance, further enriching the realm of sports psychology