The effects of living with obesity, however, can have other serious effects on their wellbeing. Children who are overweight often have seriously negative feelings about themselves. These symptoms may include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, feelings of emptiness and a fear of rejection. Due to the way that these symptoms make them feel, children often compensate by eating more, thus repeating the vicious cycle once again.
Compulsive overeating may be an actual addiction, similar to hard drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Eating can stimulate the pleasure centres in the brain, and thus food causes children to feel happier and it becomes something that they seek out as part of their regular routine, but to excess.
The relationship between overweight parents and children is more complex. Children often mimic their parents’ behaviour, and that can include overeating if they see their parents overeating, or indulging in unhealthy types of food if this is the food that they commonly observe being consumed. Children, who often fight for some semblance of power in an otherwise fairly powerless existence, may also use food as a weapon against their parents, and whilst some do this by depriving themselves of food, many do this by taking and eating all the food that they can.
Breaking the unhealthy link between feelings and food can be hard work. Children must come to understand that food is merely fuel for the body and should not have any kind of emotional attachment. Parents who are aiming to help their children lose weight, really need to start on a psychological level, finding out why they overeat and making sure that they have their confidence built up in ways besides food, so that they can gradually stop needing food in this way.