Children of Abused Mothers More Likely To Be Obese

Children whose mothers are abused by their husbands or boyfriends are more likely to be obese by the time they reach school age, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett led the study, which followed over 1500 children born between 1998 and 2000. The study involved four interviews with the mothers, when their children were born and again when they reached the ages of 1, 3, and 5; the children were also weighed and measured over time.

A large number of mothers, over 49% of them, reported experiencing some violence from an intimate partner. Children who were exposed to such violence were more likely than children whose mothers did not experience violence to be among the 16.5% of the children who were obese by age 5.

The link between domestic violence and obesity was stronger for female children. Living in less safe neighborhoods also increased the likelihood of childhood obesity.

The researchers speculate that there are a number of reasons that exposure to domestic violence might lead to obesity. The experience of being abused may lead mothers to respond to their children differently and might change the way the mother feeds her children. Perhaps the chronic stress and fear of abuse leaves the mother so emotionally exhausted that she is more likely to turn to fast food or junk food for her child. Or perhaps she is more likely to turn to emotional eating herself and feed her child in similar ways.

It is also possible that witnessing violence in the family leads children to use food as a coping tool to soothe themselves rather than seeking support from an already stressed mother.

Finally, the researchers speculate that there may be a physiological link. Maternal stress and stress from watching abuse could alter the child’s endocrine system, which would affect the way the body processes food and put the child at risk for eating disorders.

Doctors and other health care professionals, according to these researchers, should be aware of the link between family violence and childhood obesity. Countering domestic violence will be an important part of fighting this epidemic among children.

Boynton-Jarrett and her co-authors published the results of the study in the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.