Association Between Childhood Obesity and Low Self Esteem

Obesity is excess accumulation of body fat. For children a body mass index greater than 95th percentile for age and gender is considered obese. Self-esteem is a term used in psychology to describe a person's overall sense of personal value or self-worth. It is derived from a Greek word meaning "reverence for self." The "self" part of self-esteem refers to the beliefs, attitudes we hold about ourselves, while "esteem" describes the personal worth and value we give ourselves. It is how we feel about the self, how much we value ourselves, the pride we feel in ourselves or our acceptance of ourselves for who and what we are at any given time in our lives. This is important, because how we feel about ourselves can affect how we act.

Self-esteem is an essential human need that is crucial not only for survival but also healthy development. Since it develops from an individual's beliefs and consciousness of oneself, self-esteem is closely linked with one's feelings, thoughts, actions and behaviours. The development of self-esteem is a life-long process, starting from very early in life. It can be positively or negatively influenced by different events and circumstances. Consequently, a person can have either a healthy (high) or a low self-esteem. A person with a healthy self-esteem has a happier outlook to life and is more self-confident than the one with low self-esteem.

What factors influence self-esteem?

A number of key factors are believed to have a significant influence on self-esteem. To begin with we all inherit different personality traits from our parents which determine how we interpret or react to events or circumstances. This in turn impacts on our self-esteem. One of the major factors affecting self-esteem is experiences in one's childhood. Children are significantly influenced from an early age by the care givers.. A child who receives praise and encouragement for their efforts develops a healthy self-esteem and is inspired to keep trying and take on more challenging tasks. If, on the other hand, these people are critical and judgmental this can lead to a child feeling inferior, worthless or rejected.

Other factors that can influence self-esteem are painful events or experiences like divorce, bereavement, serious illness or bullying. Body image, which is how someone feel about his or her own physical appearance, can also enhance or lower one's self-esteem.

b) What is the association between childhood obesity and low self-esteem?

Childhood obesity is known to be associated with a number of conditions, among them, low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can occur in children who are obese due to the following factors:

i) Bullying

Children who are obese can be bullied or become bullies themselves. Consequently they are isolated as it becomes difficult for them to make friends, they get excluded from social activities and feel unwanted.

ii) Poor body image

Body image can be closely linked to self-esteem, especially in early teen-age life. According to a study on childhood obesity and self-esteem by Richard Strauss published in Paediatrics, there was no significant difference in self-esteem scores between 9- and 10-year-olds who were obese or not obese. However by age 13 and 14 significantly lowered self-esteem was noted in some of the study children who were obese compared to their non-obese counterparts (Paediatrics 2000;105;e15). As children enter their teens they are more conscious of how they look and what others think and say about them. The manner in which being overweight or obese affects a child depends a lot on the child's parents, their perceptions and on the culture in which the child grows up. This is because some parents and cultures accept a wider range of weights than others. A child who is constantly teased about how fat they are soon develops the feeling that he or she is not good enough, is not appreciated or accepted. This teasing can take place at home as well as at school. Children may be subjected to negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way they look from siblings (especially boys), parents, classmates and peers. Such comments can affect one's body image and self-esteem. External factors, for example media images of skinny girls and bulked-up boys, can also adversely influence a child's body image and hence self-esteem. Girls have been found to be more dramatically affected by weight and perceived weight problems than boys.

Childhood Obesity Prevention Article Category

Over the weekend, I spent a few hours with the older gentleman I know. His wisdom is exceptional. And I'm always prepared to hear what is on his mind. As usual, he engaged me in a thought provoking conversation that may cross the boundaries of political correctness. At the same time, it is a valuable conversation I would like to share.

He started with the following: It is a parent's job to prepare their children for life. When they are negligent in that job, the child could grow up to be a disadvantaged adult. And the child may not have the means and wherewithal to make up the difference. In the future, will children be able to sue their parents for this negligence? Sound farfetched. Consider the following.

The average weight for a newborn is 7.5 pounds. The average weight for a 5'9" adult male is around 170 pounds. The average weight for a 5'4" adult female is about 115 pounds. If a boy and girl of average height reach the weight of 170 and 115 pounds respectively by age 10 year, who is responsible for their overweight bodies? What are the repercussions?

If you were to say the children are responsible for eating too much, that would let the parents off the hook. When you have a child, you assume fiduciary responsibility for that child's physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, as a parent, you are responsible for preparing your children for life as an adult. While ensuring they receive a formal education is one aspect, physical health can be detrimental to an individual's future.

While the US enforces political correctness, in that we are not supposed to condemn others for disabilities, race, gender or physical appearance, discrimination is widely practiced by the majority of people. For example, the above-mentioned overweight girl could easily become a 5'4" adult at 200 pounds. At that weight and height, she could easily become the victim of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, depression, etc. Some people may discriminate against her in job interviews. Her dreams of being a professional athlete would have died on the vine. And her choice of a spouse would most likely be limited. That is a short list of her disadvantages.

If a parent has the fiduciary responsibility of preparing a child for a successful future, it would seem the parents failed. The girl above would incur many health care expenses and opportunity costs for job and spouse prospects. Are parents liable for those extraneous expenses and losses? If so, does that mean children will one day be able to sue their parents for parental malpractice - negligence?

Hopefully the world does not come to that. At the same time, there should be a wake up call for people considering having children. No parent has the right to bring a child into the world if they are not prepared to give the child normal advantages, like great health, emotional stability, knowledge through education and experience, etc. While it can be advantageous to have a child explore the world at a young age, it is not necessary. It is important for a child to have working knowledge of self, communication and physical health. What advantages will you give your children?

រន្ធត់ហួស! ទារកទើបនឹងកើតម្នាក់ ត្រូវគេចាប់គ្រវីចុះឡើង ក្នុងពិធីបុណ្យមួយ នៅប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា (មានវីដេអូ)

ឥណ្ឌា៖ វីដេអូដ៏គួរឲ្យតក់ស្លុតមួយ បានកំពុងតែធ្វើឲ្យមនុស្សជាច្រើន មានការភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ដោយសារតែវាបានបង្ហាញនូវទិដ្ឋភាពនៃទារកទើបនឹងកើតម្នាក់ ត្រូវគេចាប់គ្រវីចុះគ្រវីឡើង។


យោងតាមប្រភពព័ត៌មាន បានឲ្យដឹងថា ទិដ្ឋភាពដ៏គួរឲ្យតក់ស្លុតនេះ ត្រូវគេថតបាននៅក្នុង ពិធីបុណ្យសាសនា នាឯតំបន់មួយក្នុងប្រទេស ឥណ្ឌា និងត្រូវបានយកមកបង្ហោះ នៅក្នុងទំព័រហ្វេសប៊ុក ដោយក្រុមមួយមានឈ្មោះថា Indian Atheists។

បើយើងមើលតាមវីដេអូ និងផ្អែកទៅលើការរៀបរាប់ នៅលើបណ្តាញសង្គមហ្វេសប៊ុក គេអាចឃើញបាននូវបុរសម្នាក់ ដែលត្រូវបានគេឲ្យឈ្មោះថា “ព្រះរស់” ស្លៀកពាក់ឈុតសារី (ឈុតប្រពៃណីរបស់ឥណ្ឌា) ចាប់ទារកដែលទើបនឹងកើតម្នាក់ គ្រវីចុះគ្រវីឡើង ហាក់ដូចជាមិនខ្វល់អ្វីឡើយ នៅក្នុងពិធីបុណ្យសាសនារបស់គេ ក្រោមការសាទរ និងទះដៃពីសំណាក់ អ្នកដែលនៅជុំវិញទីនោះ។

យ៉ាងណាមិញ អ្នកនិយមប្រើប្រាស់បណ្តាញសង្គម ដែលបានមើលវីដេអូនេះហើយ សុទ្ធតែបង្ហាញនូវក្តីរន្ធត់ និងតក់ស្លុតគ្រប់ៗគ្នា ដោយក្នុងនោះ មានការលើកឡើងជារួមថា ការគ្រវីទារកបែបនេះ គឺអាចបង្កឲ្យមានការប៉ះពាល់ ផ្នែកខួរក្បាលយ៉ាងធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ ដែលអាចធ្វើឲ្យទារកម្នាក់នោះ ត្រូវពិការភ្នែក ខ្សោយប្រាជ្ញា ឬក៏អាចស្លាប់ភ្លាមៗផងដែរ។

គូសបញ្ជាក់ផងដែរ ទិដ្ឋភាពមួយនេះ មិនទាន់ត្រូវបានអះអាងថា កើតឡើងនៅក្នុងតំបន់ ណាមួយនៃប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា ឲ្យប្រាកដឡើយ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែមនុស្សជាច្រើន និយាយថា សកម្មភាពដ៏គួរឲ្យតក់ស្លុតបែបនេះ គឺអាចមាននៅក្នុងចំណោមពិធី នៃអ្នកកាន់សាសនា ឆ្វេងនិយម (ជ្រុលហួសហេតុ) ពេកប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ហើយក្នុងនោះដែរ ក៏មានមនុស្សមួយចំនួន ប្រកែកថា អ្វីដែលបុរសនោះចាប់គ្រវីចុះឡើង គឺគ្រាន់តែជាតុក្កតាជ័រប៉ុណ្ណោះ មិនមែនទារកមនុស្សពិតៗឡើយ៕

តោះចង់ដឹងថា វីដេអូនោះយ៉ាងណា សូមទស្សនាទាំងអស់គ្នា៖

Horror beyond! One newborn was caught waving around in a festival in India (video)

India: A shocking video has been making a lot of people were surprised because it provides an overview of the newborn was caught waving waving.


According to sources, said that this shocking aspect was filmed in a ritual at a site in India and was then posted in Facebook by a group called the Indian Atheists.

If you look at the video, and based on the description on the social network Facebook, they could see a man who has been called "the living," wearing Sari (Suite traditions of India), catch newborn babies, one waving down waving up does not seem to care about it in the ritual of them to cheering and applause from those around there.

However, popular social networks who watched the video, and they all show a horrifying and shocking everyone with an expected rapture collectively, waving baby like this can cause that may affect the brain adversely, which may make the baby was blind weak wisdom or even sudden death as well.

Also highlighted this aspect has not been confirmed in any part of India, to be sure, but many people say that such shocking activity may be among the devotees leftist (excessive) too. And there were also some people argue that what the man was waving around is just baby dolls, not real people.