Apples for Health- Family stress linked to childhood obesity

Family stress linked to childhood obesity

LINKOPING, Sweden, March 13 (UPI) -- A Swedish researcher says children living in families experiencing high levels of stress have a greater risk of becoming obese.

Felix-Sebastian Koch of Linkoping University said the children may be more likely to engage in comfort eating but the weight gain could also be due to insulin and hormone changes that increase the storage of fat,

The Local newspaper reported Friday. Koch said one-third of the children interviewed were unhappy with their appearance.

The findings are based on a review of the body mass index readings of 17,000 children born 1997-99 in southeastern Sweden, as well as interviews with 3,800 8-year-old children, the newspaper said.