Discuss the psychological consequences of childhood obesity

What will be an ideal response?

Today, 32 percent of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight, more than half of them extremely so: 17 percent are obese—trends that are worsening. Unfortunately, physical attractiveness is a powerful predictor of social acceptance. In Western societies, both children and adults stereotype obese youngsters as lazy, sloppy, ugly, stupid, self-doubting, and deceitful. In school, obese children and adolescents are often socially isolated. They report more emotional, social, and school difficulties, including peer teasing and consequent low self-esteem, depression, and (among obese teenagers) suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Persistent obesity from childhood into adolescence predicts serious disorders, including defiance, aggression, and severe depression. These psychological consequences combine with continuing discrimination to result in reduced life chances in close relationships and employment.