Life Satisfaction and Obesity Across the Lifespan: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: Emerging literature links life dissatisfaction with maladaptive coping mechanisms, including compulsive eating, particularly in environments with limited health-promoting resources. This study explores how life satisfaction interacts with psychological and sociostructural factors to influence obesity risk, with a focus on the role of weight perception across the lifespan. METHODS: A thorough search was conducted, and data were uploaded in Covidence, a validated website-based screening and data extraction tool. After an extensive review process, 83 studies remained for extraction. A qualitative approach was then used to synthesize the articles, primarily effects of age. Our analysis also considered effects of gender, geographical/racio-ethnic, and cultural differences. RESULTS: Across the lifespan, life satisfaction was more strongly predicted by weight perception rather than BMI or objective weight status. This effect was particularly pronounced in females, who showed greater vulnerability to negative weight perception compared to their male counterparts. The findings emphasize the psychological burden of perceived body image and its role in driving dissatisfaction, irrespective of clinical weight categories. The findings highlight the influence of gender, geography, and cultural factors in the interplay between life satisfaction and obesity. CONCLUSIONS: This research supports a biopsychosocial framework of obesity, highlighting effects of weight perception on life satisfaction and health behaviors. Interventions aimed at psychosocial well-being and reframing weight perception, especially among young females, may serve as protective factors against maladaptive eating behaviors and long-term obesity. Future obesity interventions should consider life meaning, personality traits, and perceived body image to better target at-risk populations.