The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that almost 20 percent of all children aged 6 to 11 are obese. It's a sobering statistic for parents to hear and recognize. If your own child is obese, you should know that food isn't the only cause. Certain psychological risk factors can contribute to your child's weight problem. By deciphering the problems and treating them accordingly, you give your child a better chance for a healthy lifestyle and weight loss success.
Depression
Depression can contribute to your child's obesity in a number of ways, exacerbating the problem while yielding your child almost useless to fight the problem. Weight gain is a common cause of depression. As your child experiences the harmful psychological effects of depression, he becomes apt to gain more weight and less likely to be active with friends and family. Food is turned to as a comfort, further worsening the problem, while the other effects of depression, like social withdrawal and low self-esteem, contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Low Self-Esteem
When your child suffers from low self-esteem, discussions on caring for her body may fall on deaf ears. In fact, low self-esteem is one of the risk factors for obesity, according to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. A child who feels badly about her looks may not take the steps necessary to stay healthy. She maintains a sedentary lifestyle, often choosing television and video games for a temporary reprieve from life. Talking to her about her weight may only cause further self-esteem problems.
Social Anxiety
Some children are almost painfully shy, afraid to spend time with their peers. This causes limited fitness opportunities. When a child becomes anxious in social situations, it's unlikely that he'll join a sports team or spend time outside with friends. Being overweight can encourage bullying from other children, exacerbating the problem, warns MayoClinic.com. When your child is teased or bullied, it's likely that he'll shy away from team sports and other fitness activities.
Home Habits
As a parent, you can have an effect on your child's habits. If your child is psychologically programmed to turn to food for comfort when she feels bad, she'll be even more likely to do so if she sees you do the same. Other factors, like the unavailability of food or the use of food as a social tool or a reward, teach her to use food as a coping mechanism for certain emotions. These habits can become deep-rooted in a child and stay with her into adulthood.
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