Is There a Link Between Childhood Obesity and Parental Neglect?
Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem that affects millions of children and adolescents worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years has risen dramatically from just 4% in 1975 to over 18% in 2016 (WHO, 2020). Obesity can have negative consequences for physical, mental, and social well-being, as well as increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers later in life.
One of the factors that may contribute to childhood obesity is parental neglect. Parental neglect is defined as “the failure of a parent or other person with responsibility for the child to provide needed food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision to the degree that the child’s health, safety, and well-being are threatened with harm” (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019). Parental neglect can take various forms, such as physical neglect, emotional neglect, educational neglect, or medical neglect.
Several studies have suggested that there is a link between parental neglect and childhood obesity. For example, a meta-analysis of 41 studies found that children who experienced neglect were more likely to be overweight or obese than children who did not experience neglect (Norman et al., 2012). Another study of 9,346 children in the United States found that children who were neglected by their parents had higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference than children who were not neglected (Shin and Miller, 2012). Moreover, a longitudinal study of 1,854 children in Canada found that parental neglect in early childhood predicted higher BMI and obesity at age 12 (Dubois et al., 2018).
The mechanisms by which parental neglect may influence childhood obesity are not fully understood, but some possible explanations include:
– Parental neglect may impair the development of self-regulation skills in children, such as the ability to control impulses, emotions, and behaviors. This may lead to overeating, binge eating, or emotional eating as coping strategies for stress or negative emotions (Mason et al., 2017).
– Parental neglect may reduce the availability and accessibility of healthy foods at home, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. This may result in poor dietary quality, high intake of energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods, and low intake of micronutrients (Liu et al., 2018).
– Parental neglect may limit the opportunities and encouragement for physical activity in children, such as playing outdoors, participating in sports, or walking to school. This may lead to sedentary behavior, low energy expenditure, and reduced fitness levels (Barnes et al., 2017).
– Parental neglect may affect the sleep quality and quantity of children, such as by exposing them to noise, light, or violence at night. This may disrupt the circadian rhythm, hormonal balance, and metabolic processes that regulate appetite and energy balance (Fatima et al., 2015).
In conclusion, there is evidence that parental neglect is associated with childhood obesity. However, more research is needed to establish the causal relationship and the underlying mechanisms between these two phenomena. Furthermore, interventions are needed to prevent and treat both parental neglect and childhood obesity, as well as to address their common risk factors and consequences.
Works Cited
Barnes J.D., Cameron C., Carson V., Chaput J.P., Colley R.C., Faulkner G.E.J., Janssen I., Kramers R., Saunders T.J., Spence J.C., Tucker P. & Tremblay M.S. (2017). Results from Canada’s 2016 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Journal of Physical Activity & Health. 14(Suppl.2):S217-S229.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2019). Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/define.pdf
Dubois L., Diasparra M., Bédard B., Kaprio J., Fontaine-Bisson B. & Tremblay R.E. (2018). Genetic and environmental contributions to weight height and BMI from birth to 19 years of age: an international study of over 12 000 twin pairs. International Journal of Obesity. 42(2):175-184.
Fatima Y., Doi S.A.R. & Mamun A.A. (2015). Longitudinal impact of sleep on overweight and obesity in children and adolescents: a systematic review and bias-adjusted meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 16(2):137-149.
Liu J., Jones S.J., Sun H., Probst J.C., Merchant A.T. & Cavicchia P. (2018). Diet Quality among Children Aged 2–18 Years by Food Security Status: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2014. Nutrients. 10(6):736.
Mason S.M., Bryn Austin S., Bakalar J.L., Boynton-Jarrett R., Field A.E., Gooding H.C., Holsen L.M., Jackson B., Neumark-Sztainer D., Sanchez M. & Rich-Edwards J.W. (2017). Child Maltreatment’s Heavy Toll: The Need for Trauma-Informed Obesity Prevention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 52(5):671-679.
Norman R.E., Byambaa M., De R., Butchart A., Scott J. & Vos T. (2012). The long-term health consequences of child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Medicine. 9(11):e1001349.
Shin S.H. & Miller D.P. (2012). A longitudinal examination of childhood maltreatment and adolescent obesity: results from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health homework help – write my psychology thesis (AddHealth) Study. Child Abuse & Neglect. 36(2):84-94.
World Health Organization. (2020). Obesity and overweight. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
