Obesity among the youth was never so prevalent, as it is now. In the US, there are almost 15.5% obese and 30.4% overweight adolescents. We can think about the string of diseases that can occur or worsen as obesity keeps going on to adulthood. But the question rises; did we understand the impact obesity could create? What problems an obese adolescent has to face in a social set up? How does adolescent obesity create social anxieties?

The world we live in is a harsh and cruel world. There are some common standards that have been developed by the society in order to live in harmony within the society. One of such standards has also been created about the obesity as it’s hardly considered appreciative in any society. The obese people often have to be the victim of criticism and shattering remarks. Because of the preference for slim and lean, the obese adolescents receive negative reaction from society automatically.

It has been often observed that obese adolescent females have to receive unending comments and derogatory names because of their appearance and most of the time these people who pass comments about their figure are their dead ones including peers, colleague, siblings and sometimes strangers. Obese teenagers tend to withdraw because of the social response for obesity and it leads to social anxieties.

No doubt, the issue of acceptance and belonging is age-old. Many such teenagers develop the fear of upsetting interactions with non-obese youngsters. The degree of trauma varies from people to people, but the fear remains developing in almost all of them. This is the point where adolescent obesity develops social anxieties. There are different people in the world: some are tall, the other are short. Some have well-shaped nose, the others have flat nose. Some are white, some are black or brown. Some are lean and thin, the others are obese and overweight. The sad thing is that some are considered fit and acceptable according to society standards while the others have to be the victim of sarcastic comments and bullying.

A slim and healthy teen often has his/her peers’ admiration and s/he is believed to do well in such sports as granted by the blessing of a fit body. But for an obese teen the case is totally different as they don’t like to participate in certain activities. They limit themselves to a certain comfortable peer group and thus create boundaries in order to protect themselves.

If we look at social anxieties that occur because of adolescent obesity, we find these social anxieties are developed as defense mechanism. Then again the question is why adolescent obesity creates social anxieties? The best answer is self-preservation as the world still revolves around the survival of the fittest. Obese adolescents often find themselves at odds with the world and it allows social anxieties to creep in and take over.

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