Mother-Child Relationships Affect Teen Obesity

On Monday we reported that a father's unusual work hours can affect childhood obesity, but studies also show that poor mother-child relationships can also increase the possibility of teen obesity.

A study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that children with a better relationship with their mother were less likely to be overweight or obese.

Researchers followed almost 1,000 children. They found that 26 percent of subjects who had poor relationships with their mothers were obese by the age of 15. Of the children with good relationships with their mother, 13 percent were obese by the age of 15.

Researchers emphasize that this does not denote cause and effect; rather, the outcome demonstrates the relationship between emotion, stress, appetite, and energy balance. Researchers hope that the outcome will push people to work on mother-child relationships, as opposed to simply blaming the mothers.

"Blaming parents is not likely to solve anything. It's important to recognize that there are many competing demands on parents," a researcher told Reuters.

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