Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
Life

Stressed Parents Can Make You Obese

Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Apr, 2015 11:37 AM
    Experiencing certain family stress repeatedly throughout the childhood can make kids obese by the time they turn 18, research has found.
     
    While maternal poor health can make boys obese by the time they turn 18, long-term exposure to financial stress and family disruption can make adolescent girls vulnerable to gaining extra kilos by the time they turn into adults, the findings showed.
     
    "Experiencing family stress - specifically family disruption and financial stress - repeatedly throughout childhood was associated with overweight or obesity by the time adolescent girls turned 18," said Daphne Hernandez, assistant professor at University of Houston.
     
    Interestingly, only one chronic family stress point - maternal poor health - was related to boys becoming overweight or obese by the time they turned 18, the researchers noted.
     
    "Overall, the findings suggest that female and male adolescents respond differently to stress,” Hernandez pointed out.
     
    “By knowing the types of stressors that influence female and male adolescent weight gain, we can tailor specific social services to be included in obesity prevention programs," she said.
     
    Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, the researchers examined three family stress points - family disruption, financial stress and maternal poor health - and applied those to data of more than 4,700 adolescents born between 1975 and 1990.
     
    Hernandez said that the findings are important particularly to school-based obesity prevention programmes that currently focus on dietary intake and physical activity, which she says yield only short-term benefits.
     
    "These programs need to take a broader approach to combatting obesity by helping families experiencing these kinds of stressors find access to mental health programmes, financial assistance or

    MORE Life ARTICLES

    Gambling is not all that bad, says study

    Gambling is not all that bad, says study
    Gambling is not always bad, especially for those who indulge in it for fun and are in control of their gambling habit, says a new study....

    Gambling is not all that bad, says study

    'Dirty' networking games made for people in power

    'Dirty' networking games made for people in power
    If you want to reinforce your say in the "dirty" game of professional networking to either grab a better job or crack a business deal, get it done from the top....

    'Dirty' networking games made for people in power

    Resilience the key to tolerating pain

    Resilience the key to tolerating pain
    People who are able to accept their pain feel less pain, are more active on a daily basis and have a better mood -- and these findings hold true for men and...

    Resilience the key to tolerating pain

    Poverty makes minority kids more vulnerable to abuse

    Poverty makes minority kids more vulnerable to abuse
    Children belonging to minority communities face increased risk of maltreatment due to exposure to poverty, says a US-based study....

    Poverty makes minority kids more vulnerable to abuse

    Connect to 'higher power' for purposeful life

    Connect to 'higher power' for purposeful life
    Youngsters who regularly attend religious services and describe themselves as spiritual are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, indulge...

    Connect to 'higher power' for purposeful life

    Why some people avoid taking risks

    Why some people avoid taking risks
    Those with a larger volume in a particular part of the parietal cortex -- which is engaged in a host of cognitive operations -- were willing to take...

    Why some people avoid taking risks