Majdi Alhajaj, Marwan Salameh, Ammar AlMaharmah, Zaid Alkhwaldeh
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the mediating function of body esteem in the relationship between low self-esteem and the emergence of social anxiety symptoms in obese people. Techniques: One hundred overweight and obese individuals completed validated self-report measures of social anxiety, body esteem, and self-esteem as part of a cross-sectional quantitative design. Direct and indirect relationships between variables are evaluated using structural equation modelling, or SEM. Findings: Social anxiety symptoms were substantially more common in people who had low body and self-esteem. The association between social anxiety and self-esteem was partially mediated by body esteem, which was especially noticeable in sedentary respondents. The results are consistent with earlier studies showing that social anxiety is higher in obese people with low body and self-esteem, particularly when these factors are combined with low emotional intelligence and overweight status. The findings highlight how important body and self-esteem are to obese individuals' psychological health. Social anxiety symptoms in this demographic may be lessened by interventions that enhance body image and self-esteem through cognitive evaluation, behavioural change, and physical exercise. Low self-esteem and negative body esteem are significantly associated with heightened social anxiety among overweight and obese individuals. Also, it was found that body esteem partially mediates the link between self-esteem and social anxiety especially pronounced in sedentary individuals, aligning with findings from Abdollahi & Talib (2015) showing similar mediation in overweight groups, Weight status and emotional intelligence further moderate these relationships, intensifying anxiety when body esteem is low. Enhancing body image and self-esteem through cognitive-behavioural interventions can alleviate social anxiety symptoms in obese individuals. This aligns with broader evidence supporting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for improving self-esteem and body image and finally, promoting physical activity, particularly in sedentary subgroups, may reduce anxiety by improving body esteem and self-identity is consistent with mechanisms observed in other overweight samples.
