Adult obesity linked to childhood problems


LONDON, Sep 11, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Children with emotional difficulties
are more likely to become obese adults, researchers in Britain found.

Andrew Ternouth, David Collier and Barbara Maughan of King's College London
studied data from of about 6,500 members of the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study
who, as 10-year-olds, had been assessed for emotional problems, self-perceptions
and body mass index.

The study participants reported again on their BMI at age 30.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, found that children with a
lower self-esteem, those who felt less in control of their lives and those who
worried often were more likely to gain weight over the next 20 years. Girls were
slightly more affected by these factors than boys, the study found.

"While we cannot say that childhood emotional problems cause obesity in later
life, we can certainly say they play a role, along with factors such as parental
BMI, diet and exercise," Ternouth said.



URL: www.upi.com


Copyright 2009 by United Press International

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