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Obesity in Children and Emotion

Sep 13, 2011 | By Danielle Hill
Obesity in Children and Emotion
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Though weight gain may appear on the surface to be a purely physical matter of eating too many calories, the interplay between emotional and physical health is extensive, affecting children as well as adults. Emotional issues may manifest in excessive weight gain and obesity may provoke negative emotional effects, such as diminished self-esteem, depression or difficulty handling social situations. If your child suffers from emotional difficulties or obesity, consult your pediatrician for referrals to appropriate specialists.

Emotional Risk Factors

According to a study carried out by the Department of Epidemiology at Ohio State University, children who do not form a secure emotional relationship with their parents run an increased risk of obesity by age 4½. An insecure emotional relationship is marked by a poor response to stress, involving anger, fear or anxiety at extreme levels. Often such children also interact poorly with others. Factors such as eating habits, household routines, and mothers' health also played a role in the tendency to obesity, but emotional relationships were the greatest influence.

Emotional Repercussions

As they grow and interact with other children in school settings, obese children regularly suffer from a range of emotional repercussions, including low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Secondary effects may include poor social skills, declining academic performance, and either disruptive behavior or social withdrawal.

Diet and Emotion

Mayo Clinic terms "emotional eating" as the tendency to eat compulsively for emotional comfort instead of physical sustenance. Children can easily pick up habits of eating for comfort from parents or peers who may binge on fatty foods or reach for extra helpings to avoid feelings of stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, sadness or other negative emotions. Children may take steps to actively reverse the tendency for emotional eating, possibly with the help of a counselor. However, parents with emotional eating habits should also stop their own patterns if the children are to successfully rebound.

Exercise and Emotion

While it can be challenging to reverse firmly established emotional eating habits, exercise offers a potential solution to obesity as well as attendant emotional issues. Regular exercise can relieve anxiety, depression and other negative emotional problems commonly associated with obesity. Mayo Clinic recommends exercise to lighten mood and release tension. If regular exercise does not improve your child's emotional well-being, a more serious condition may require professional help. For example, body image issues associated with obesity may linger well after the physical body has changed dramatically and excess weight is no longer an issue.

References

Article reviewed by Molly Solanki Last updated on: Sep 13, 2011

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