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The happy obese child

Flodmark, Carl-Erik LU (2005) In International Journal of Obesity 29. p.31-33
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Firstly, is the negative psychological effect of obesity also present in the whole population of obese and overweight children? Secondly, what tools could be recommended to measure the psychological effects of obesity? DESIGN: Review. METHODS: Quality of life or self-esteem is often used in evaluating the psychological effects of obesity. Test instruments used have been instruments for measuring quality of life such as the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) or the KINDL (R) instrument, and measurements of self-esteem, such as 'ITIA' ('I think I am) and the Self-Perception Profile for Children. RESULTS: The obese child studied in community samples has better quality of life and self-esteem than obese children from... (More)
OBJECTIVE: Firstly, is the negative psychological effect of obesity also present in the whole population of obese and overweight children? Secondly, what tools could be recommended to measure the psychological effects of obesity? DESIGN: Review. METHODS: Quality of life or self-esteem is often used in evaluating the psychological effects of obesity. Test instruments used have been instruments for measuring quality of life such as the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) or the KINDL (R) instrument, and measurements of self-esteem, such as 'ITIA' ('I think I am) and the Self-Perception Profile for Children. RESULTS: The obese child studied in community samples has better quality of life and self-esteem than obese children from clinical samples. CONCLUSION: Psychosocial factors seem to be more important than the functional limitations of obesity itself. This means that we might help the obese child better by social support to a minor part of the population than to focus on the child's obesity as a cause of psychological problems. A happy obese child might have greater resources to cope with the problem than previously thought. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
treatment, childhood, quality of life, psychosocial factors, self-esteem
in
International Journal of Obesity
volume
29
pages
31 - 33
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000232953800008
  • scopus:33644986126
ISSN
1476-5497
DOI
10.1038/sj.ijo.0803060
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
841c2856-4a61-46bd-b076-b19d7ea50aa5 (old id 898714)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:36:26
date last changed
2022-01-27 07:22:56
@article{841c2856-4a61-46bd-b076-b19d7ea50aa5,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVE: Firstly, is the negative psychological effect of obesity also present in the whole population of obese and overweight children? Secondly, what tools could be recommended to measure the psychological effects of obesity? DESIGN: Review. METHODS: Quality of life or self-esteem is often used in evaluating the psychological effects of obesity. Test instruments used have been instruments for measuring quality of life such as the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) or the KINDL (R) instrument, and measurements of self-esteem, such as 'ITIA' ('I think I am) and the Self-Perception Profile for Children. RESULTS: The obese child studied in community samples has better quality of life and self-esteem than obese children from clinical samples. CONCLUSION: Psychosocial factors seem to be more important than the functional limitations of obesity itself. This means that we might help the obese child better by social support to a minor part of the population than to focus on the child's obesity as a cause of psychological problems. A happy obese child might have greater resources to cope with the problem than previously thought.}},
  author       = {{Flodmark, Carl-Erik}},
  issn         = {{1476-5497}},
  keywords     = {{treatment; childhood; quality of life; psychosocial factors; self-esteem}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{31--33}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Obesity}},
  title        = {{The happy obese child}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803060}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/sj.ijo.0803060}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}