Childhood obesity can be associated with serious psychosocial issues

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends kids get at least 60 minutes each day of physical activity, yet most kids fall far short of this target. 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. This is obviously of real importance from a public health standpoint, because one-third of our youth are at serious risk for numerous chronic diseases. Not only are they at risk for chronic health diseases, numerous studies have shown that overweight and obese kids are also at higher risk for psychological problems. In a study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, titled, “Are overweight and obese adolescents different from their peers?” Dr. Helena Fonseca and colleagues aimed to identify psychosocial and lifestyle behaviors, which distinguish overweight and obese teens from there, lean peers. The study included 6131 students aged 11-16 who completed questionnaires on their body weight, body image, diet history, life satisfaction, health perception, peer group involvement, happiness, irritability and alcohol use. The results, which are not surprising, found that obese and overweight teens when compared with non-overweight teens, were more likely to report a negative attitude toward their appearance; to believe that others made negative comments about them; had a lower level of life satisfaction; had more difficulty in making new friends, and were more likely to describe themselves as unhappy. The results from this one study are obviously distressing and there are several other studies out there with similar results, so this is sending us the message that pediatric obesity is associated with serious psychosocial issues, which require appropriate intervention.
Bottom line. We need to get our kids moving. Increase physical activity to help reduce obesity rates. Exergames can help play a role in this. Exergames can help convert passive screen time to active screen time, however they should not be used as a substitute for other forms of physical activity. They can be great addition to current activities, can help your kids get their needed daily physical activity or provide another option when weather or other things make it difficult to be outside.