Abstract

Obesity in children and adolescents is associated with lower quality of life, depressive mood, anxiety, lower self-esteem, stigmatisation and poorer peer relationships. To some extent, obesity is also related to cognitive development and eating disorders. The relationship between psychological problems and obesity is mutual, since each can contribute to the development and maintenance of the other. Moreover, increasing evidence supports the presumption of the relationship between obesity in children and adolescents and difficulties in self-regulation processes, which can also result in associated behavioural problems and attention/hyperactivity problems in obese children. Last but not least, the child’s family, the wider social environment and parenting style play an important role in the development of obesity.

Key words: obesity, emotional problems, behavioural problems, self-regulation, parenting styles.