Sohail, Ayesha2026-04-242026-04-242022https://repository.iou.edu.gm/handle/123456789/598The sedentary lifestyles and culture of overindulgence in the western world are making Muslim women increasingly obese. There are many psychological barriers faced by Muslim women in trying to overcome obesity and live healthy lifestyles according to the recommendations of Islam. Although there are copious amounts of research available on obesity, Islamic lifestyle recommendations, and the psychology around lifestyle changes required to overcome obesity, they are siloed and difficult for Muslim women to develop an understanding of. This paper is an effort to connect literature from several different fields around the psychological barriers that Muslim women face in maintaining their physical health, the Islamic recommendations for a physically healthy lifestyle, and modern psychological strategies and treatments to implement positive health-related lifestyle changes. It uses secondary sources in the form of journal articles, theses, and published books to define challenges and navigate solutions to obesity as it relates to Muslim women. It was found that despite overwhelming numbers of Muslims living in western countries, they remain a largely understudied population. Furthermore, Islam should be treated not as a religion, but as a cultural paradigm, not just a religion by western healthcare systems in order to best serve the Muslim community. Muslim women may become more susceptible to sedentary lifestyles because of the incompatibility of western fitness culture and health care systems with Islamic values and lifestyles. This is in part because the fitness culture existent in the western world presents a toxic environment that seeks to develop intents and qualities that are inherently un-Islamic. As such, Muslim women may find themselves in a conflict between preserving their modesty and Islamic outlook and navigating fitness spaces. The psychological barriers to the uptake of dietary modulation, and physical activity as well as behavioural therapy needed to overcome obesity in Muslim women may require support at both family and community levels. Nevertheless, psychological strategies can provide benefits to Muslim women in alleviating the psychological burdens they face in trying to invest in their physical health. Appreciative inquiry, in particular, is well suited to the Muslim community as it promotes a shift in thinking from problem-focused approaches to solution-oriented modes of consideration. Appreciative inquiry can allow Muslim women to cement their investment in physical health to the appreciation of the blessings of Allah on them.Thesis