Obesity is negatively associated with life satisfaction. Individuals affected by obesity are generally less satisfied with their lives, and those experiencing class II or III obesity are even less satisfied. A survey of more than 1.3 million Americans of varying weights asked them to rank their overall life satisfaction. These answers were measured against each counties' obesity rates. The survey revealed that being overweight made people less likely to feel "very satisfied" with their lives. However, people who reported being dissatisfied with life because of excess weight were less likely to feel this way if the people living around them were also overweight. This finding suggests that obesity per se does not appear to be the main reason individuals with obesity tend to be less satisfied with their lives than their non-obese peers. Instead, it may be society's response to or stigmatization of those that are different from what is seen as "normal" that drives this relationship.

Knowing which factors are associated with childhood overweight and obesity is critical for being able to prevent it. A recent study examined whether parental marital status was associated with general and abdominal obesity among children. More than 3,100 third graders (mean age of 8.3) participated in the study. Researchers found that boys whose parents were divorced were 63 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than boys whose parents were married. They were also 104 percent more likely to be abdominally obese. Understanding the home-environment changes that may take place following a divorce may help to decrease the likelihood of obesity among children.