Unveiling the links between physical activity, self-identity, social anxiety, and emotional eating among overweight and obese young adults

Huilin Wang; Xianyi He; Yiwei Tang; Jiaxin Tang; Jingyu Yang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1255548

Unveiling the links between physical activity, self-identity, social anxiety, and emotional eating among overweight and obese young adults

Front Psychol. 2024 Jan 8:14:1255548. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1255548. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Huilin Wang^{1

2}, Xianyi He³, Yiwei Tang², Jiaxin Tang¹, Jingyu Yang⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Business, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China.
² School of Physical Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China.
³ College of Physical Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
⁴ Department of Medical Bioinformatics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

Abstract

Introduction: Emotional eating not only contributes to physical obesity but also leads to the experience of guilt and shame, exacerbating emotional problems. Increasing physical activity, adopting a balanced diet, and seeking psychological support help improve emotional eating issues in overweight or obese young adults, enhancing overall mental and physical well-being.

Methods: This study investigates the correlation between physical activity, self-identity, social anxiety, and emotional eating among 373 overweight and obese college students aged 18-26 in central China. By utilizing AMOS v.26, a structural equation model was constructed to examine the hypotheses.

Results: The findings reveal that physical activity significantly influences self-identity and social anxiety, which, in turn, significantly impact emotional eating. Moreover, self-identity and social anxiety serve as mediators in the relationship between physical activity and emotional eating. These results emphasize the role of physical activity in mitigating emotional eating among young individuals struggling with overweight and obesity.

Discussion: Consequently, the government and relevant agencies are urged to address the issue of obesity among young adults and provide support for their engagement in physical activity.

Keywords: emotional eating; overweight and obese young adults; physical activity; self-identity; social anxiety.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Hunan Provincial Social Science Achievement Review Committee (no. XSP2023JJZ001) and the Scientific Research Fund of Hunan University of Science and Technology (no. E52203).