ABSTRACT
Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2, has become a major public health concern throughout the last decades. The prevalence rates of obesity have been found to be associated with age in adult populations. Obesity not only impacts somatic health but also affects psychological health. An important psychosocial determinant of mental health in people with obesity lies in the concept of stigmatization. Numerous studies document that obesity is a stigmatized health condition in which people with obesity are described unfavorably. Given the emerging importance of social inclusion and contact (and hence the adverse effects of loneliness and social isolation), it is obvious that stigmatized groups may be more prone to loneliness than others. This chapter describes the current state of the literature on obesity in old age and its associations with loneliness. It adds to the literature by reporting data from a large population-based study. Loneliness and stigma-related variables were not associated. The impact of obesity in terms of functional limitations as well as subjective health impairment has yielded mixed results in previous studies and needs further attention.
