Stress Leads to Adolescent Obesity

The greater the amount of stress the more likely a child is to be overweight. Managing stress and solving problems are key life skills at any age and it is never to young to learn. Children unable to manage stress well may “stress eat” and may not feel like exercising, factors that really work against healthy metabolism.

“We found that an adolescent or youth who's more stressed—caused by such things as having poor grades, mental health problems, more aggressive behavior, or doing more drugs and alcohol—is also more likely to be overweight or obese,” said lead author Brenda Lohman, an Iowa State assistant professor of human development and family studies (HDFS).

This problem is even worse if mom is stressed.

Nutrition can help boost mood and offset the wear and tear of stress. Combined with good life skills and problem-solving skills – metabolism will be more able to function properly. It is rather amazing how so many different factors impact metabolic health.