As energy prices rise and the cost of living rises, it is estimated that there are four million children in poor households with limited or uncertain access to healthy food.
My current doctoral research is looking at how this childhood food anxiety affects eating habits. Studies suggest that poor food during childhood leads to obesity.
Ah 2017 survey Eight- to 10-year-olds from households without easy access to healthy food were five times more likely to be obese than those from households with adequate food.
A study of 50 mothers and their children found that children in food-insecure households ate when they were not hungry and ate five or more snacks a day. I found that I could eat more.
This is what is known as “”.insurance hypothesisThe theory is that in order to avoid future starvation when food is scarce, people who do not have ready access to food eat more to conserve energy when food is available.
but another Recent research A study of 394 adults in the United Kingdom found no difference in total energy intake between food-insecure and food-secure people. However, the diets of people without ready access to healthy foods contained less fiber and protein and more carbohydrates than other people in the study.
Also, the time intervals between meals in food-insecure people were not consistent when compared to those with ready access to healthy food. Those who lacked access to food were unable to keep regular intervals between meals and instead ate as food became available.
These research findings are about eating. high calorie food (often classified as unhealthy foods high in sugar and fat) and skip meals It is known to be associated with obesity.
This suggests that poor diet is a factor leading to obesity.
Role of stress
The emotional toll of childhood living in poverty can also lead to obesity. 2018 research review Among the factors leading to childhood obesity, we focused on the role played by the home environment.
It suggests that low income, inability to access or purchase nutritious food, and stress caused by lack of income and food create a negative psychological and emotional environment for children. I’m here. This family disharmony disturbs homeostasis, the body’s ability to monitor and maintain internal conditions.
Over time, this research suggests that this can lead to obesity. This is known as “emotional eating”. We use food to calm us down or make us feel better.
increased stress levels cause Dysregulation Next to certain peptides and hormones in the body, such as insulin, cortisol, and ghrelin, higher levels of these hormones and peptides increase appetite. high calorie food.
Children are particularly affected because they are in the process of developing habits that last into adulthood. Negative emotions cause changes in the parts of the brain involved in development. habits and memoriesWhen children eat comfort foods to reduce distress, become a habitthey respond using the same strategy future stressOver time this can lead to obesity.
emotional eating
Other research studies have explored the association between emotional eating and obesity.Ah study Conducted in 2019 in 150 adults, it investigated the relationship between obesity and socioeconomic disadvantage, psychological distress, and emotional eating.
We found that the lower the socioeconomic status, the higher the distress, and the higher the distress, the higher the level of emotional eating. In turn, a higher emotional diet was associated with a higher his BMI.
Research conducted A study of over 600 adults at the University of Salford found that food insecurity was associated with poorer diet quality, and greater distress and diets to cope with it were associated with higher BMI. I also found out that
This study was conducted in adults rather than looking at the causes of childhood obesity. However, it has been suggested that psychological distress and subsequent emotional eating are pathways linking poverty and obesity.
In addition, research made in america 676 adolescents from various backgrounds found that perceived stress, worry, and confused moods were associated with emotional eating.
In the UK, 29% of men and 27% of women ObeseUnless more steps are taken to protect children living in poverty, this proportion will rise even higher in the coming years.
Kizra TariqPhD Candidate in Nutrition, Psychopharmacology and Brain Development Unit, University of Salford
This article is reprinted from conversation Under Creative Commons License.
