Obese adolescents are stigmatized by peers. They may attempt to protect their self-image by participating in high-risk behaviors. Obese adolescent girls are more likely to report adverse social, educational and psychological correlates than obese boys. Overweight girls, but not overweight boys, manifest more depressive symptoms than their normal-weight peers. Gender differences in clinical depressive syndromes may emerge in early childhood as opposed to puberty as previously thought.