Bonding with Your Toddler Reduces Obesity Risk

Researchers have found that mothers who don't bond well with their toddlers may end up with obesity as a health issue in their children as they grow. Why? Toddlers, being deprived of the nurturing care that they crave from their mothers, turn to food for emotional comfort.

The study, which will be revealed in Pediatrics magazine January 2012, involved 1,000 toddlers between the ages of 15 months and 3 years of age, and their bonds with their mothers. For 15 minute intervals of play with or near their mothers, researchers studied how children reacted around their mothers during times in which mothers should notice and acknowledge their children's behavior or play.

Toddlers who seemed far more independent from their mothers or who shied away from their mother's comfort were shown to be twice as likely to be obese by age 15 than toddlers who came close to their mothers or who would not leave their mother's side.

While still entirely unclear as to the link between childhood obesity and motherly bonds, the study suggests that the lack of comfort a child receives from their mothers leads to emotional and comfort eating as the child grows.

Source:

webmd.com