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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Psychological well-being and weight-related teasing in childhood obesity: a case-control study
M Blanco1, S Solano2, A I Alcántara3
1Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Cantoblanco Campus, 28049, Madrid, Spain. miriam.blancoh@gmail.com.
Purpose:
The prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase worldwide. The aims of this study were to (1) assess the psychological well-being and rates of teasing of Spanish children with obesity (OG) and compare them with their non-overweight peers (NG), and (2) analyze the mediating role of weight-related teasing on the relation between children's BMI z score and psychological well-being.
Methods:
The cross-sectional study included 50 preadolescents with obesity, matched with non-overweight children according to age, sex, and socioeconomic status, who were assessed via self-report instruments measuring anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and teasing.
Results:
The OG reported higher anxiety, depression, and teasing, and lower self-esteem. SEM revealed that children who scored worse on instruments assessing psychological well-being had higher BMI z scores. Weight-related teasing predicted poor psychological well-being scores and weight-related teasing mediated the relation between BMI and psychological well-being.
Conclusions:
The high rates of anxiety, depression, and weight-related teasing, as well as the low self-esteem, which was observed amongst the children with obesity, raise concerns about the quality of life of this population. Furthermore, the finding that weight-related teasing mediated the relationship between BMI and psychological well-being adds to a growing body of research, highlighting the harmful effects of weight-related stigma. Overall, these results highlight the importance of early intervention to assess for, and address, the presence of weight-related teasing and psychological well-being difficulties in preadolescents with obesity.
Level Of Evidence:
Level III, case-control study.
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