Researchers from Ohio State University analyzed data from a
study following nearly 1,000 children from infancy through the
ninth grade and found that children who were “insecurely
attached” or otherwise showed signs of a poor maternal
relationship before age 3 were more likely to be obese at 15.
Their results, published in the journal Pediatrics, add another
layer to the complex question of childhood obesity. Teenagers
who had relationship difficulties with their mothers at a young
age were more than two times more likely to be overweight than
those who didn’t — but as the researchers adjusted for other
factors that correlate with teenage obesity, such as maternal
education and household income, the gap narrowed. Sarah
Anderson, lead author of the study, hopes the research will be
used to support better-quality maternal-child relationships.
“The sensitivity a mother displays in interacting with her child
may be influenced by factors she can’t necessarily control,” she
said, and, as parents, most of us can ima