Stress as experienced by obese adolescents and their coping mechanisms.

• Main Authors: Diaz, Ginger, Dyong, Mylia, Tecson, Elayne
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Subjects: Eating disorders in adolescence; Obesity in adolescence
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10334
• Institution: De La Salle University

The objective of this study is to determine the stresses that obese adolescents experience in relation to their weight. It aims to determine the roles of family, peers and media as stressors. In addition, the study also intends to identify the coping mechanisms of obese adolescents. In order to achieve this, the method employed was interview, since this study is a qualitative exploratory research. There were thirty participants in this study that were constituted of 15 males and 15 females chosen through chain-referral. The data gathered were qualitatively analyzed through content analysis. Aside from the dominant genetic factor that contributes to the development of obesity, the results of the study revealed that family causes stress on the obese adolescent by pressuring them to lose weight and the inability of parents to monitor the amount and type of food eaten at home. Being teased by their peers, weight as an obstacle to having a romantic relationship and feeling of embarrasment to go shopping with their peers because of their size are the stresses that results from peers. Media creates stress by setting standards of what is ideal and what is not, specifically not being able to follow trends in fashion, wanting to look like fashion models, and being affected by how fat people are portrayed on TV. The coping mechanisms of obese adolescents can be classified into two categories: emotion focused and problem focused. This study will promote awareness by presenting the unique experiences of obese adolescents.