These data demonstrate a significant relationship between obesity and changes in self-esteem during early adolescence. Obese white and Hispanic girls demonstrated significantly lower levels of self- esteem by 13 to14 years of age compared with nono- bese white and Hispanic girls. In addition, childhood obesity had a mild effect on self-esteem in young adolescent boys. Because negative weight percep- tions are particularly common among young adoles- cent white females,17–21 it is not surprising that young obese adolescent white females show the lowest lev- els of global self-esteem. Nevertheless, negative per- ceptions of obesity also exist among adolescent boys;17–21 it is, therefore, not surprising that obese adolescent boys demonstrate mildly decreased levels of self-esteem