Obesity and Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract This chapter discusses obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL is a multidimensional construct that reflects how a person subjectively evaluates his/her own well-being in the domains of physical, psychological and social functioning, as influenced by a person's experiences, expectations, and perceptions. Assessing the consequences of obesity on HRQOL plays an important role in evaluating the impact of obesity on individual and population health. To date, a variety of studies, conducted primarily in adults and using cross-sectional designs, has attempted to evaluate the associations between obesity and HRQOL. The general validity of the HRQOL instruments used in these studies has been demonstrated, while the majority of studies conducted in general population samples suggest deleterious effects of obesity across multiple dimensions of HRQOL.