Childhood Obesity: Psychological Effects

In the United States today, childhood obesity is a real issue. More children are becoming dangerously overweight at an earlier age than ever before. Obesity brings with it the threat of numerous diseases, ranging from bone and joint problems to asthma and type 2 diabetes. Once a child begins to lose weight, these health problems seriously lessen or, in some cases, go away altogether.

One side effect of obesity that is scarcely acknowledged or dwelled upon are the psychological effects that come with it. Studies have recently established that even if a child manages to lose weight in adulthood, some of the psychological damage from being an obese child linger. Obese children tend to have low self esteem and less confidence in social situations than their peers. Sometimes they will even try to avoid gym class out of shame for their appearance.

While obese children generally tend to have poor body images, this is not helped by all the teasing that they tend to have to endure at school and in other social situations with their peers. A lot of times, obese children will skip school or drop out altogether in order to avoid having to confront their peers' teasing head on.

This is why drug and alcohol use among overweight teenagers has also risen in recent years. Illicit substances have become an unfortunate way of escaping from and coping with the problem of obesity. Substance abuse problems also contribute to increasing the amount of depression an obese child suffers.

There are some things a parent can do to help lessen the psychological stress that results from obesity. For one thing, the subject of overeating should be brought up. Oftentimes, a child will overeat because they are depressed. Once this problem is brought out in to the open, it can be easier to find strategies for coping with it - not to mention alternative approaches to solving depression.

What's more, parents can talk to their children about personal appearance and how they feel about themselves. Physical beauty is often dwelled on in this society to an unhealthy degree. What ever happened to inner beauty? Highlight the qualities that make your child special - different, and thus more attractive to others.

What's more, you should make it a habit to praise your children whenever they accomplish something positive. Do this often.

When dealing with obesity in the family, you should never use food as the basis of reward. When your child accomplishes something worth celebrating, go to a movie rather than splurge on fast food or a night of eating.

Children should never be criticized for not losing weight or accomplishing personal goals. Instead, the parent should always be constructive. Talk it out and find a solution.

Parents should also serve a good example for their kids. That means that the whole family should eat healthy and engage in physical activity as a unit. If you as a parent are not healthy on a mental and physical level, then you cannot expect your children to be, either.