Children who have parents that lay down rigid rules but lack emotional engagement are more likely to become obese, a new study finds.
Childhood obesity is a growing concern in the United States. Food habits and lifestyle are two factors that contribute greatly to this weight disorder. Now, researchers have also found that mental stability and emotions play a huge role in childhood obesity.
Researchers at the American Heart Association found that children with parents that are strict with rules but skimpy with emotions and conversations are more likely to become obese. For the study, researchers collected data of 37,577 Canadian children aged up to 11 years. Information collected included how affectionate the children's parents were, how often they discussed about proper behavior with their child and set healthy boundaries (authoritative). They compared this data with what they had garnered from parents who were strict about maintaining discipline but showed little affection (authoritarian).
Researchers noted that children belonging to the latter group of parents were 30 percent more likely to be obese between the ages 2 and 5 and 37 percent more likely to be obese between the age of 6 and 11 years.
"Parents should at least be aware of their parenting style," said Lisa Kakinami, Ph.D., a post-doctoral epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal in a press statement. "If you're treating your child with a balance of affection and limits - these are the kids who are least likely to be obese."
Researchers noted that though poverty also contributed to childhood obesity, parenting style affected obesity regardless of income level.
More than one-third of American children are overweight or obese, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Exploring factors at home that may be fueling this public health concern could lead to better prevention and interventions.
Children become overweight and obese due to various factors. The most common causes are genetic, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Only in rare cases is being overweight caused by a medical condition such as a hormonal problem. A physical exam and some blood tests can rule out the possibility of a medical condition as the cause for obesity.
Recently, researchers found that programs targeting both diet and physical activity were more effective than programs that focused on one or the other. High blood pressure is more common among children who are overweight and obese, hence, the authors of the review wanted to see if obesity-prevention programs also improved blood pressure in kids.
"Blood pressure during childhood can track into adulthood, and when kids have elevated blood pressure they are more likely to have hypertension when they become adults," coauthor Dr. Youfa Wang told Reuters Health in an email.
Wang said measuring blood pressure was a standard part of children's medical care just like measuring height and weight. This step is another way of preventing health conditions caused due to obesity.
