Researchers say parents undergoing too much stress can impact kid's health

The researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have recently discovered that parents undergoing too much stress have an impact on the health of kids.

The increasing parental stress is related to high rates of childhood obesity and fast food consumption along with lower rates of physical activity.

The study also found that parents who are more stressed out, then their kids consume fast food more often than the kids of the parents who are stressed out less.

Dr. Elizabeth Prout-Parks, a physician nutrition specialist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said, “Stress in parents may be an important risk factor for child obesity and related behaviors.”

In the current study, the researchers looked at more diverse population in terms of ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

The researchers also analyzed factors like the adult levels of education, age, body mass index, gender, parental stressors, race and sleep quality.

These problems were looked in terms of influence on childhood obesity, fast food consumption, physical activity, as well as vegetable and fruit consumption.

According to the scientists, the parental stressors impact the child’s obesity including weak physical and mental health, financial difficulties and households that are managed by one parent rather than two.

Study conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadephia was the first to discover a relationship between parent-perceived stress and the rising fast food consumption of kids.

Scientists were of the view that there are an increased number of interventions to lessen parental stress and to train individuals on how to deal with stress.

Researchers also said, there needs to be further research done on family behaviors and community factors as well the effect that these factors have on childhood obesity.

Prout-Parks said, “Clinical-care, research, and other programs might reduce levels of childhood obesity by developing supportive measures to reduce stressors on parents.” Parks also stated, “Teaching alternative coping strategies to parents might also help them to reduce their perceived stress.”

Stress is a negative concept that can have an impact on one’s mental and physical well-being. It is a body’s way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by good and bad experiences.