Heavy Kids Experience Heavier Emotions

In general, being overweight or obese at any age can cause a variety of psychological consequences. However, overweight kids have bigger tendencies to experience depression and low self-esteem according to Catherine Davis, the current associate professor of pediatrics in the Medical College of Georgia.

Aside from the fact that most overweight children have a higher tendency of developing several physical ailments such as heart disease, these kids are also prone to developing low self-esteem and depression. This is because most overweight kids are often teased and bullied.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 37% of children in the US are overweight and about 16% of children aged 2 to 19 years old are obese. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey states that over the past 20 years the percentage of obesity among children has increased three times.

Sara Gable of the University of Missouri says that obesity and being overweight are terribly stigmatizing conditions regardless of the person’s age. She adds that “living as a member of a stigmatized group is stressful and can produce feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.”

These findings might also imply that since overweight boys and girls reported more feelings of loneliness and worrying in as early as first grade, experts suggests that children do develop a certain understanding towards the stereotypes that comes with the stigma at an early age.