Confirming a link that many pediatricians and psychologists have long suspected, a study has shown that children with behavioral problems are more likely to be overweight than are children with no such problems.
The study, published in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics found children who had significant conduct problems were three times more likely to be overweight than other children. In addition, researchers found children with behavioral problems were five times more likely to become overweight within the next two years.
"This is true regardless of socio-economic factors,” says Julie Lumeng, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Michigan Center for Human Growth and Development. Although the cause and effect are unclear from the data, Lumeng says the study shows the importance of paying attention to both emotional and physical concerns when it comes to treating childhood health problems. Obesity should not be treated simply as a physical problem, she says.
