The Sociological Aspect of ObesitySUMMARYMuch has been written to explain the medical aspect of obesity, but little attention has been paid to understanding of the sociological aspect of the epidemic. This research attempts to understand the sociological aspect of obesity by examining sociocultural, gender and psychosocial effects and includes the different perceptions of the epidemic as well as what is deemed acceptable in the society in which we live. In American culture, obesity is viewed as a bodily abnormality and deviance that must be corrected. Obesity has indeed become one of the most stigmatizing body characteristics in our culture (Brink, 1994). In Western culture, thinness not only means body size, but it is also associated with qualities such as health, attractiveness, and control. In contrast, body fat is considered a sign of poor health, inefficiency and lack of personal will (e.g. Kissling, 1991; Ogden, 1992; Cooper, 1998). Recent research has shown that the social stigma associated with obesity can have serious consequences for an obese person, through discrimination in essential areas of life such as education, health care and employment. When it comes to gender, the stigma associated with obesity is not the same for men and women. Research has clearly demonstrated that obesity is more stigmatizing for women and that obese women are discriminated against more than men because of their weight (Puhl & Brownell, 2001). The psychosocial aspect of obesity is often overlooked. Psychosocial problems associated with obesity are usually evident and can often arise from discrimination (conscious and unconscious) against obese people. Researchers found that lower self-esteem was associated with...... middle of article......9/12/788">http://www.obesityresearch.org /cgi/content/full/9/ 12/788.