Home >> Herbal tea

Mothers' Stress Linked To obesity In Kids

Stress Linked To obesity In Kids

Treating low-income mothers for depression, stress and anxiety could help combat the childhood obesity epidemic and reduce the number of teenagers developing type 2 diabetes and heart problems, a study has found.

About 1.5 million Australian children, or one in four, are overweight or obese, putting huge demand on the health system. Last month the Children's Hospital at Westmead became one of the first in the world to appoint a doctor dedicated to treating overweight children.

The prevalence of cheap fast food and computer games have been blamed for the obesity crisis.

However, a study published in this month's Pediatrics journal found many children were overweight or obese because their mothers were stressed, anxious or depressed and had little patience or energy to enforce healthy eating habits. It found that the more stressed a mother was, the more likely it was her child would be overweight or obese.

The study, of more than 840 children from low-income families, found that those aged between three and 10 were more adversely affected by their mother's moods than adolescents because they could not gain help from school, work friends or sports groups, putting them more at risk of comfort eating.

About 37 per cent of the children in the study were overweight or obese, well above the Australian average of 25 per cent, while about 23 per cent of the mothers had fair or poor health, 17 per cent were disabled, and 44 per cent were unemployed.

Researchers found some children could have been overweight due to the hypersecretion of cortisol, a hormone produced when the body is under stress.

Increased levels can cause metabolic disorders and obesity, but most children were comfort eating.

"Some parents just can't afford nutritious foods and many have limited knowledge about nutritionally sound foods, but often it is that they are so stressed they simply haven't got the energy for an argument about eating, so they take the path of least resistance, which is one of chips and soft drinks," said Jenny O'Dea, an associate professor in nutrition and health education at the University of Sydney.

Besides, If you have any question about health or health care for obesity and acupuncture lose weight,contact with our experts for detailed consultation,please click herehttp://net.zoosnet.net/LR/Chatpre.aspx?id=NET39826137

[Close] [comment]