Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Sep;87(5):1564-80.
doi: 10.1111/cdev.12548. Epub 2016 May 25.

The Social and Emotional Lives of Overweight, Obese, and Severely Obese Children

Amanda W Harrist  1 , Taren M Swindle  2 , Laura Hubbs-Tait  3 , Glade L Topham  3 , Lenka H Shriver  4 , Melanie C Page  5
Affiliations

The Social and Emotional Lives of Overweight, Obese, and Severely Obese Children

Amanda W Harrist et al. Child Dev. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

This study examines inter- and intrapersonal problems associated with being overweight among one thousand one hundred sixty-four 6- to 7-year-olds (49% boys) in 29 rural schools. Socioemotional data include child self-reports, peer sociometrics, and teacher reports. Results support the hypothesis that children with weight problems struggle socially and emotionally, and extend current understanding of child obesity by demonstrating that problems appear early, are evident in a community sample, can be identified using standard sociometric methods, and are worse among children with severe obesity. Sociometric status difference between levels of obesity were also found. Although obese children were neglected by peers, severely obese children were rejected.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Allen KL, Byrne SM, Blair EM, & Davis EA (2006). Why do some overweight children experience psychological problems? The role of weight and shape concern. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 1, 239–247. doi: 10.1080/17477160600913552 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Andrade BF, Waschbusch DA, King S, Thurston C, McNutt L, & Terrio B (2005). Teacher-classified peer social status: Preliminary validation and associations with behavior ratings. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 23, 279–290. doi: 10.1177/073428290502300306 - DOI
    1. Asher SR, Hymel S, & Renshaw PD (1984). Loneliness in children. Child Development, 55, 1456–1464. doi: 10.2307/1130015 - DOI
    1. Booth ML, King LA, Pagnini DL, Wilkenfeld RL, & Booth SL (2009). Parents of school students on childhood overweight: The Weight of Opinion study. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 45, 194–198. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2008.01453.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boschemail J, Stradmeijer M, & Seidell J (2004). Psychosocial characteristics of obese children/youngsters and their families: Implications for preventive and curative interventions. Patient Education and Counseling, 55, 353–362. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2003.04.005 - DOI - PubMed