Children afflicted with chronic obesity oftentimes suffer from depression and related self esteem issues. A recent study has established that children and young adults who struggle with overweight and obesity tend to have a higher rate of depression than non-obese children and young adults. The study focused on about 1,000 children over the course of eight years, with the goal being to decipher the psychological effects of obesity. What the researchers found was that childhood obesity does indeed carry very severe psychological consequences and can be linked to numerous psychiatric disorders.

While the media often carries stories about the effects of overweight and obesity on girls, one of the surprising conclusions of the study was that it is typically overweight boys who suffer from obesity related depressions. Yet both obese boys and girls tend to be candidates for what is known as “oppositional defiant disorder.” This psychological problem is characterized by hostile, angry behavior towards authority.

One thing that the study was unable to establish is the causality of the problem. In other words, what comes first - the obesity or the depression and related psychological problems?

One hypothesis is that both obesity and depression stem from a similar chemistry of the brain. Whatever the answer is, one thing is for certain: obesity effects different people in different ways. This is why treatment options must be tailored to each individual s experience.

Another recent study also took place over a period of eight years, during the course of which nearly 1,000 children between the ages of nine and sixteen were studied. Each child s weight, height, psychiatric status, and vulnerability towards psychological problems was monitored during this period. About 73% of the children fell in to the non obese category 15% of them were chronically obese 5% were obese only as children 7% were obese only as young adults. (As there is no standard measurement of obesity in children, those who were classified as obese were significantly overweight.)

What the study found was that childhood obesity is a much larger problem in the United States than anyone had previously thought. It occurs at three to four times the rate that was announced in the year 2000 by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study also concluded that chronically obese kids are much more likely to have psychiatric problems related to depression and oppositional defiant disorder. While the former occurs more usually in boys, the latter occurs in both sexes. Non obese children are not nearly as at risk for these sorts of psychological problems.

Parents should keep in mind that weight loss is not a healthy or proper method for young children to employ, as their bodies - and minds - are still developing. Actively encouraging dieting can often fuel the fire of obesity related depression. Unless a doctor assigns your child to be put on a diet for specific medical reasons, dieting should not be encouraged in young children, as it could also deprive them of the nutrients and energy they need to grow.

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