The Impact of Lipomastia on Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety in Adolescents with Obesity

Background: Obesity can negatively impact adolescents' self-esteem, and lipomastia can further complicate the situation. Objective: The current study endeavors to examine the influence of lipomastia on the levels of social anxiety and self-esteem in individuals with obesity. Methods: Seventy adolescent male outpatients with obesity completed a form of demographics, the SAS-A (Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES-10 item). Participants were stratified according to the presence of lipomastia, and correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the association between social anxiety and self-esteem in relation to lipomastia. Results: No significant difference was found between the lipomastia and non-lipomastia groups regarding self-esteem. While the lipomastia group had slightly higher overall social anxiety scores, significant differences were noted only in fear of negative evaluation. There was no relationship between the SAS-A total score and anthropometric measurements in both groups. However, a negative relationship was observed between self-esteem and anthropometric measurements in the lipomastia group, whereas such a relationship was not observed in the control group. Conclusion: Adolescents with lipomastia showed higher social anxiety, particularly fear of negative evaluation, despite similar demographic and anthropometric characteristics to their peers. Higher BMI correlated with lower self-esteem, highlighting the complex interplay between body image, self-esteem, and social anxiety. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to support adolescents with obesity and lipomastia.