Emotional problems a risk factor for obesity

Children with self-esteem problems are more likely to struggle with their weight later in life, a study of 6,500 participants finds. Drawing on data from the 1970 Birth Cohort Study, researchers compared BMI results and emotional reports from children at 10 years of age with self-reported readings that were taken again at 30 years. They found that childhood self-esteem predicted weight gain in both men and women (P<0.001) and those who felt less in control of their lives and worried more often were also more likely to gain weight over the next 20 years. The researchers also noted that the effect was stronger in women than in men. Adult BMI was significantly predicted by sex, childhood social class, paternal BMI and maternal BMI (all factors P<0.001) and increased emotionality was also significantly associated with a higher BMI amongst adult women. The researchers noted that while it has generally been perceived that low self-esteem is a result of obesity, their research shows that it was antecedent to obesity and is a risk factor for weight gain. “Our findings show that measures taken at age 10 are predictive… and support the possibility that poor childhood self-esteem contributes to later risk for high adult BMI,” they said. “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 weight, diet and exercise.” They highlighted the need for further school education and public health initiatives to target healthy eating habits and combat obesity. BMC Medicine 2009, 7:46doi:10.1186/1741-7015-7-46...