Psychological and psychiatric aspects of pediatric obesity.

A thorough dealing with psychological and psychiatric aspects of obesity requires careful consideration of causal implications. It is nowadays readily comprehensible that obesity can entail psychiatric symptoms, because stigmatization of obese children and adolescents, including teasing and bullying, is a common event. Sources include peers, teachers, parents, and health care providers. It would indeed seem peculiar if this ongoing and intense stigmatization did not affect mental well-being at a very early stage of life.