Differences in life satisfaction related to BMI category and ethnicity in women 18--40 years of age

Despite the current epidemic of obesity Americans seem to have a preoccupation with thinness and prejudice towards the obese. It also appears that Caucasian women experience greater pressures to be thin compared to African American women. Though the deleterious health effects of obesity are clearly established, the effects of obesity on well being are less understood. The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a survey to measure a person's subjective well being; a total of 105 females between 18–40 years of age completed the five-item SWLS. BMI was judged by the researcher using a silhouette scheme. This study explored the difference in Life Satisfaction scores among people in different BMI categories and the interaction between ethnicity and Life Satisfaction. No statistically significant difference was found (p = .131; p = .139); however, results did suggest that underweight Caucasian and overweight African American women have greater life satisfaction. These data could be useful in developing an assessment tool using weight as a domain of life satisfaction for individualized behavior modification.