Katerina
Posting #2
Health
Life Stressors Increase Obesity Risk in Young Girls
By Leslie Wade
Publication Name: CNN Health
Date of Publication: April 16, 2012
Length: 674 words
A study was done by Shakira F. Suglia, Epidemiologist and Assistant Professor at Columbia University in New York which showed that life stressors increase obesity risk in young girls. Suglia and fellow researchers studied records from the Fragil Families and Child Well Being Study which took mother-child pairs form twenty major cities in the United States. Out of the 1,605 preschoolers, 60% were found to have experienced at least one stress at home being it domestic violence, hunger, moving
frequently or living in a shelter, a father in prison, a depressed
mother or one who abused alcohol or drugs. How come only girls are affected and not boys? Studies show that boys are more physically active than girls and that girls are more emotionally attached to their mothers and are more likely to mimic their actions. If a mother is depressed or there is violence in the home, she may not be emotionally available to take care of her child, making the child confused and yearn for that emotional comfort and support. Children that yearn for comfort and attention will usually reach for the food that they know they are not suppose to eat because they do not get as much of it, like fatty, sugary foods. Cakes, cookies, chips, and ice cream become the child's comfort food and emotional support. Another reason why girls are more prone to obesity than boys is that girls tend to internalize their behavior more than boys. Girls often withdraw, feel depressed and sad. Boys more often externalize their behavior by becoming aggressive, impulsive, and having trouble sitting still.
The researchers in this study did
not look into the reasons for the differences in weight gain between
boys and girls; they simply found that it existed. They say more studies
are needed to further explore these sex differences. Suglia says that when pediatricians talk to families about obesity prevention, the discussion needs to go beyond eating habits and exercise. Doctors should ask about home life and offer families referral services and programs to help them cope with the stressors in their life.
After reading this posting, I can only wonder why so many parents are selfish and separate over personal bickers without regard for their children's needs. Although parents may feel that their needs come first, they need to think about this statistic: 60% of children at home have stress that affects them in one way or another. Why would you want to be the parent in that 60% that causes your child emotional stress? And since many of the young girls with these stresses at home have a higher chance of being obese, parents ought to try and be more careful with what they choose to do, and consider the emotional effects on their children first.
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