Harsh parenting, food insecurity predicts obesity for young women

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/isu-hpf070716.php

Public Release: 7-Jul-2016
Harsh parenting, food insecurity predicts obesity for young women
Iowa State University

The adolescent years can be full of changes, whether physical, emotional, or familial. A new study by Iowa State University researchers suggests that when these years include prolonged periods of food insecurity coupled with harsh parenting practices, females are prone to obesity in early adulthood.

"When females who are normal weight in their early adolescence experience food insecurity, something is happening in their bodies," said Brenda Lohman, a professor in human development and family studies and the study's lead author. "This sets them on a path toward increased weight gain, so by the time they are 23, they are more likely to be overweight or obese."

As the newly released study published in the July 2016 edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health indicates, this food deprivation, when combined with other stressors such as harsh parenting, impacts a teen's development. In the study, harsh parenting was defined as hostile or aversive physical contact; punishment in response to misbehavior; or angry, critical, or disapproving behavior.

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tags: child abuse