Your family can make you fat

Today in news no one wants to hear after the Easter break, scientists at the University of Houston have found that family stress is associated with teenage obesity.

Researchers looked at data from 4,700 people born between 1975-1990 and found that family disruption, maternal poor health and financial stress was associated with girls being overweight or obese by the time they were 18. With boys only poor maternal health was associated with obesity by the time they were 18. The full results have been published in the journal of Preventative Medicine.

"Overall, the findings suggest that female and male adolescents respond differently to stress," lead author Assistant Professor Daphne Hernandez said. "This study extends our knowledge of stress and obesity by focusing on the family environment over time. By knowing the types of stressors that influence female and male adolescent weight gain, we can tailor specific social services to be included in obesity prevention programs."

More: Gender disparities among the association between cumulative family-level stress & adolescent weight status

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