Page No: 289-293
Deepthi, A., Praveen, K.K., Chandrashekhar-Rao, P., Vincent, K., and Kishore, M.T.,
University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
The problem of overweight is increasing among the adolescents. While overweight is
associated with physical and physiological complications, emerging evidence suggest
that it is also associated with psychological problems, particularly low self-esteem and
depression. But the association with psychopathology is reported to be mediated by binge
eating. In this context, the present study examines whether binge eating has any role
in the relationship between body mass and self-esteem and depression in overweight
adolescents. Accordingly, 39 overweight adolescents and 39 normal weight cohorts in
the age range of 12-17 years were recruited in the study through purposive sampling
method. Participants were assessed with standardized tools of binge eating, self-esteem
and depression. The results indicated that binge eating mediates the relationship
between body mass and psychopathology. This study suggests that binge eating is an
important variable in the context of overweight and psychopathology. Implications of
the same for the management of weight-related psychopathology in adolescents are
discussed in detail