Obesity and Quality of Life Among Children

Excessive weight has a negative effect on health-related quality of life(QOL) among children, according to a report in the January 5, 2005, issue ofJAMA. A group of researchers in Australia did a longitudinal study of1,943 children who were given a standardized QOL assessment. The assessmentwas repeated 2 years later with 1,569 children to identify trends that mayoccur over time.

Children who were overweight or obese reported much lower QOL scores thannormal-weight children. Those with excessive weight showed decreases inphysical and social functioning. Scores did not increase with levels of bodymass index, but were consistent across all classes of overweight. Surveys ofthe parents found that their observations correlated highly with theirchildren's, suggesting that parents and children tend to agree on theperceived level of function.

Although the degree of functional impairment isn't as large as reported byother researchers, according to the authors, the study contributes importantinformation about the impact of overweight and obesity.