Introduction:

Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue, since it generates adverse results for physical and mental health.

Objective:

To correlate nutritional status and levels of self-esteem and physical performance in schoolchildren aged between 8 and 10.

Materials and methods:

236 students participated, 117 male and 119 female, aged between 8 and 10, from two public schools in the municipality of Temuco. Weight, height, body mass index, mass/ fat percentage, waist contour, physical condition, hours of physical exercise per week and self-esteem were evaluated.

Results:

Overnutrition was documented in 43.6% of the students; children classified as obese (19%) presented higher levels of fat mass and waist contour (p<0.001), and also had a lower physical performance (p<0.05). The hours of physical exercise per week and the level of self-esteem were lower in obese school children, although this figure was not significant (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

Obesity in school-aged children reveals alterations associated with physical performance, fat mass and negative trends on self-esteem. Despite developing at an early stage, the consequences associated with this condition can already be seen.

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