*3.2. Psychopathology and Well-Being of Overweight and Underweight Adolescents*

Compared to normal weight adolescents, overweight adolescents showed significantly higher YSR total and internalizing scores as well as higher levels of psychopathology in most YSR subscales (except in those related to the externalizing problem domain) (Table 2). Moreover, overweight adolescents reported significantly more symptoms of eating disorders and lower levels of well-being in all domains compared to the normal weight group. Underweight adolescents showed significantly higher scores in the YSR internalizing problem domain and the socially withdrawn subscale compared to the normal weight group. Regarding externalizing problems (including the dissocial and aggressive behavior subscales) and the SCOFF, underweight adolescents even reported problem

scores significantly lower than normal weight adolescents. There were no other statistically significant differences between the underweight and normal weight group.

**Table 2.** Differences in psychopathology, eating disorder risk and well-being scores of overweight and underweight adolescents compared to a normal weight reference group.


<sup>1</sup> controlled for sex.

Considering the established cut-off scores for the YSR instrument, 26.7% of overweight adolescents showed clinically relevant total problem scores which was a significantly higher percentage than in the underweight (15.6%) and normal weight (16.2%) subsamples (Chi2(2) = 22.927, *p* < 0.001). Clinically relevant internalizing problems were reported in 24.7% of overweight adolescents which was similar to underweight adolescents (22.3%) but higher than in the normal weight reference group (19.0%) (Chi2(2) = 6.841, *p* < 0.033). A significantly lower number of underweight adolescents (5.5%) showed clinically relevant externalizing problems compared to overweight (10.5%) and normal weight adolescents (8.8%) (Chi2(2) = 6.953, *<sup>p</sup>* = 0.031). Eating disorder risk (defined as SCOFF score ≥ 2) was reported in 41.3% of overweight adolescents which was significantly higher than in the underweight (16.5%) and normal weight (23.1%) sample (Chi2(2) = 68.189, *p* < 0.001).
