OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of obesity is increasing not only in adults, but in children and adolescents.  Health and psychosocial issues related to obesity have been documented to negatively impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which could affect children and adolescents differently than adults.  This research reviews the literature on HRQoL instruments utilized in obese children and adolescents.   METHODS: A systematic search strategy was used to identify published literature between 1997 and December 2009 via PubMed and Ovid databases.  The key terms included obesity, quality of life, health-related quality of life, questionnaires, and adolescents.    RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were retrieved.  Fourteen studies were excluded for not including an obesity- or weight-specific questionnaire (n=12) and assessing the impact of another disease or treatment (n=2).  Five obesity- or weight-specific instruments were identified:  Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite), Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Kids (IWQOL-Kids), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), Sizing Me Up, and Sizing Them Up.  All of the instruments were developed for children and adolescents, except IWQOL-Lite.  Cumulatively, these five instruments measured 17 domains.  The most common domains observed in the questionnaires were related to Physical Functioning/Comfort, Emotional Functioning, and Social Life.  Other domains measured were Body Esteem, Family Relations, Mealtime Challenges, and School Functioning.  The domains that were most impactful in assessing HRQoL were Physical Comfort, Body Esteem, and Social Life.  The primary outcome of the studies demonstrated poor HRQoL in obese children and adolescents.   CONCLUSIONS: Obesity- and weight-specific HRQoL instruments are limited, especially for children and adolescents.  With the increasing prevalence of obesity in this subpopulation, there is a significant need for the development of instruments to assess the total impact of this disease.  The information provided from these instruments can assist with future obesity treatment in children and adolescents.