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Behavior
Problems Feed Childhood Obesity
If your child is antisocial, anxious, dependent, depressed,
headstrong, hyperactive or withdrawn, the likelihood of
his or her becoming obese is greatly increased, a new study
says.
"We found that children who are overweight are twice
as likely to have behavioral problems compared with children
who don't have behavorial problems," says study author
Dr. Julie Lumeng, a researcher investigator at the University
of Michigan.
Most obese children do not have behavior problems, Lumeng
says. But behavior problems seem to be one cause of obesity,
she adds.
The research team was curious if behavior problems start
before children become overweight, and if they contribute
to becoming overweight. "We found that normal weight
children who have significant behavior problems are five
times more likely to become overweight over the following
two years," Lumeng says.
In their study, reported in the November issue of Pediatrics,
Lumeng's team collected data on 755 children, aged 8 to
11. The parents of these children completed a questionnaire
that asked about their child's behavior.
"The mind and the body are so interrelated that you
cannot ignore a child's mental health," Lumeng says.
"If we as a country are trying to stem the tide of
obesity in children, we really have to look at the root
of what is triggering children's behavior leading to obesity."
Lumeng believes that to lessen the chance of becoming obese,
behavior problems need to be recognized and treated.
Lumeng says the reasons why behavior problems lead to obesity
remain unknown. "It could be that these children don't
go outside and play as much as other children, or maybe
they spend too much time watching TV, or maybe they are
using food to make themselves feel happier."
Parents who have a child who shows significant behavior
problems should see their pediatrician and get the child
into therapy, Lumeng advises.
Pediatricians need to investigate the behavior problems
of their normal weight patients and get them help. They
also need to be aware of behavioral problems among their
patients who are already obese, she adds.
One of the goals in dealing with behavior problems is to
prevent children from becoming overweight, Lumeng notes.
"If you can treat the behavior problems, hopefully,
you can prevent the progression to obesity."
Lumeng says the epidemic of obesity in the United States,
of which the child with behavior problems is a small piece,
is a result of the ever-increasing ease that has become
a hallmark of society.
In addition, she says food in restaurants is being super-sized
and food is so much more accessible. "These are the
reasons that the average American child is becoming obese
today," she says.
David Katz, an associate clinical professor of public health
at Yale University, comments that "it comes as no great
surprise that behavioral problems in childhood increase
the risk of weight gain over time and obesity."
"Restrained eating in our 'toxic' nutritional environment
is difficult for all and it's much more difficult for those
with emotional and behavioral difficulties," he adds.
Katz agrees with Lumeng that physical activity is likely
to suffer in children with significant emotional and behavioral
problems who cannot "simply go out to play with friends."
In addition, he notes American parents have difficulty cultivating
healthful eating habits in even the most emotionally balanced
children. Children with emotional and behavioral problems
are much more of a challenge, Katz adds.
"While this research is valid and interesting, its
importance should not be over-interpreted," Katz says.
"The critical message of our day is that all children
are at increasing risk of obesity. Currently, nearly 80
percent of adults are overweight, and the rates of childhood
obesity are rising rapidly."
If something is not done, there will be a generation of
adults in whom the prevalence of obesity is nearly 100 percent,
he says. "This is the big picture, the crisis at hand,
and the take-away message for anyone concerned about childhood
obesity."
Article Source: HealthDay
Article Author: Steven Reinberg
Net Reference 101
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