Preschool obesity, food insecurity link

U.S. children whose early years were spent in food insecurity and who have obese mothers are more likely to be obese in preschool, researchers say.

Study leader Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras of the Department of Nutrition at the Simmons College School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Boston said the research is based on analysis of more than 28,300 low-income children participating in a publicly funded health and nutrition program in Massachusetts, from 2001 to 2006.

Household food insecurity was based on parent/caretaker responses to a food security survey. The four items in the survey ask about the following aspects of food security status: not having enough money to buy food for a balanced meal, adults cutting the size or skipping meals, and adults skipping meals or not eating for a whole day because there wasn‘t enough money to buy food, Metallinos-Katsaras said.

The study found there is no effect of food insecurity on child weight among children whose mothers were of normal weight. However, among children whose mothers were overweight/obese, chronic mild food insecurity increased the risks of child obesity by about 34 percent.

“The research affirms that these vulnerable groups should be targeted for early interventions to prevent becoming overweight and obese later in life; some of this targeting includes the further alleviation of food insecurity in these high risk groups,” Metallinos-Katsaras, said in a statement.

The findings were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (UPI)



<관련 한글 기사>


소아비만, 이것때문!

미국 연구진은 아이가 식품을 불균형적으로 섭취하거나 비만 어머니를 둔 경우 비만 위험이 높다고 전했다.

시몬스칼리지스쿨(Simmons College School)의 엘리자베스 메칼리노스-카트사라스(Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras)는 2001년에서 2006년에 걸쳐 저소득층 가정 아동 28,300명을 조사했다.

가정의 식품 불안정에 대해서는 부모나 보모의 설문으로 조사가 진행되었다. 균형 잡힌 식사를 할 만한 경제적 여유가 있는지, 식사를 자주 거르지는 않는지에 대한 질문이었다.

연구 결과 식품 불안정의 정도가 심할수록, 그리고 어머니가 비만일수록 아동의 비만 확률이 높아지는 것으로 드러났다. 어머니가 비만인 아동의 경우, 만성적으로 식품 불안정에 시달리는 아동은 그렇지 않은 경우보다 소아비만에 걸릴 확률이 34% 더 높아진다.

"비만 문제를 해결하기 위해서는 취약 계층의 아동들부터 신경을 써야합니다."라고 연구진은 전했다. (코리아헤럴드)