Worried Parents Increase Childhood Obesity Risk

Early childhood associated with fast growth period define child’s weight gain. This crucial time need to be monitored by parents to shield their children health. The European Congress on Obesity submitted their research by University College London analysing over 6,000 children data from long-term cohort study of 19,000 families and children born between 2000 and 2002. They examine the association between distress self-reported by mothers and fathers in early childhood (at 9-months and 3-years of age), and their children's weight (body mass index; BMI) and excess body fat (Fat Mass Index; FMI) changed from age 5 to 14 years. The researchers discovered that girls are sensitive to both parents self-reported distress during infancy; whereas boys seem to be influenced only by their fathers' distress.

"We know the first few years of life are crucial for healthy weight development, however we don't know exactly which psychological and social exposures during the early years put some children at greater risk of developing overweight in later childhood", says Kristiane Tommerup from University College London, UK, who led the research.

Supportive aspects of household like Family Income; Parents employment and education level; Child's gestational age, birth weight, and breastfeeding duration also influence weight gain process in infants.

The shortcomings of this study are limited study population and did not explore other aspects of Parents’ biological, social, and behavioural mechanism to influence children weight.



Source-Eurekalert