Family stress ‘can increase a child’s risk of obesity’

Children could be at a greater risk of becoming obese by the time they turn 18 years old if they grow up in a stressful family environment, according to a new study.

Carried out by the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance and Texas Obesity Research Center, the research examined three stress points ­- family disruption, financial stress and maternal poor health – and applied them to data from more than 4,700 adolescents born between 1975 and 1990.

It was found that repeated family disruption and financial stress throughout childhood was associated with obesity by the time adolescent girls turned 18, whereas maternal poor health was the main influencing factor in boys.

This information could be used to tailor specific social services to be included in obesity prevention programmes, according to the researchers.

University of Houston assistant professor Daphne Hernandez said: "Developing strategies to help with family stressors during childhood may help children maintain healthy weight into adulthood."

These findings could offer a new means of combating obesity, which is becoming a growing public health concern in many developed nations, including the UK.