Excess weight has been associated with numerous psychosocial problems and is considered to be one of the most important health problems of today. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between weight status, which is evaluated by means of the body mass index (BMI), and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction (LS) variables in Spanish adolescents, as well as to examine whether gender influences this interrelationship. A total of 1197 subjects studying in their 1st and 4th years of high school (mean age: 14.4 years, SD: 1.69) participated in the study by completing the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire. Then, the participants were grouped into the following categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The results show that boys have significantly higher HRQoL as well as higher levels of LS. On the other hand, only the obese group shows significantly lower scores in both HRQoL and LS than those in the normal-weight group. The interaction of weight category and gender does not have a significant impact on the variables that have been analyzed (HRQoL or LS).

resUMenLa obesidad es uno de los problemas de salud más importantes a comienzos del siglo XXI, afectando a millones de personas en todo el mundo, siendo una las principales causas de mortandad. En la actualidad no está clara la relación entre obesidad y psicopatología, y tampoco se ha aclarado si las posibles alteraciones psicológicas son causa o consecuencia de la obesidad. El presente trabajo tiene por objeto revisar algunas de las aportaciones recientes (2007-2010) relativas a la comorbilidad psicopatológica y la obesidad. De dicho análisis se deriva que existen ciertas alteraciones psicológicas que parecen ser más comunes en las personas obesas, como pueden ser la depresión, la ansiedad, el consumo de sustancias, etc., aunque no queda clara la dirección de la relación explicativa; así mismo, también existen resultados contradictorios. La constancia de cierta probabilidad de comorbilidad psicopatológica obliga al clínico a considerar su evaluación en los casos de obesidad y, previsiblemente, a incluir un plan de intervención terapéutico de orden psicológico-psiquiátrico.Palabras clave. Obesidad. Sobrepeso. Comorbilidad. Psicopatología. ABsTrACTObesity is one of the most important health problems in the early twenty-first century as it affects millions of people around the world and remains a major cause of mortality. At present there is no clear link between obesity and psychopathology, and whether the possible psychological disorders are a cause or a consequence of obesity has not yet been clarified either. This paper reviews some recent contributions (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) related to the comorbidity between psychopathology and obesity. It can be concluded from this analysis that certain psychological disorders seem to be more common in obese people, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc., although the direction of the explanatory relation is not clear; moreover, the opposite result has also been found. The evidence of likely comorbid psychopathology means that the practitioner must consider its assessment in obesity cases, and include a plan for a psychiatric and/or psychological therapeutic intervention.

Background: Many people with eating disorders often report having suffered some kind of childhood trauma. For this reason, many studies have attempted to explore the mediating factors between traumatic experiences and the development of eating disorders. The aim of our study is to conduct a systematic review of published works on the mediating factors between childhood trauma and the development of eating disorders. Method: This review was carried out up to 5 December, 2020, using the databases PsycInfo and PubMed, combining the keywords, and applying a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 18 articles were retrieved. After the articles were analyzed, a set of mediating factors between childhood trauma and the development of eating disorders was established, including pathological dissociation, difficulty with emotion self-regulation, body dissatisfaction, negative affect/depression, anxiety, general distress, self-criticism, and alexithymia, among others. Conclusions: In addition to evaluating trauma in eating disorders, these results highlight the importance of paying special attention to the presence of various possible mediating factors, which must be taken into account in the planning of therapeutic treatment. Identifying symptoms of trauma or eating disorders early on could prevent onset of more severe psychopathology during adulthood.

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La obesidad infantil es uno de los factores de riesgo clave para el desarrollo de enfermedades crónicas. La prevención de ésta y su tratamiento se han convertido en una de las políticas sanitarias comunes en muchos países. Por ello, el estudio de la obesidad infantil y de sus características psicológicas debe ser un objetivo prioritario. El presente trabajo es un estudio transversal que tiene como objetivo general el análisis del sobrepeso y obesidad en una muestra de población infantil y la medida en que tales circunstancias pueden afectar a su imagen corporal. Fue llevado a cabo con 62 niños y niñas, estudiantes de dos colegios públicos de localidades de la Comunidad de Madrid, con una media de edad de 11,53 (DT .73). Como instrumentos de evaluación han sido utilizados la Escala Breve de Insatisfacción Corporal Infantil (EBICI), The Children’s Body Image Scale (CBIS) y un cuestionario antropométrico autoinformado por los propios sujetos de la muestra. Según los resultados obtenidos, aproximadamente el 18 % de la muestra tiene sobrepeso u obesidad, además se ha comprobado que el sobrepeso y la obesidad inciden negativamente en la percepción social y actitudinal que tienen los niños y niñas sobre su propio cuerpo.