Obesity and childhood bonding: new studies

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%, according to the National Institutes of Health. Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects.

Obese children are more likely to have risk factors for heart disease. They have a greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep disorders, and social and psychological problems. They are more likely to be obese as adults and risk other diseases such as diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis.

Now amid questions about the causes of this jump in obesity, a number of studies, reported in Science Daily, have surfaced that show a link between childhood obesity and insecure bonding with parents,

One study showed that toddlers who do not have a secure attachment, usually with their mothers, have a 30% chance of becoming obese by age 4-1/2. Another study linked childhood obesity with parental neglect, citing cases in which both parents work and do not provide adequate attention to their kids. Still another study indicated a link between mothers involved in domestic abuse and obesity in their children.

Mary Ainsworth did pioneering work on the importance of attachment for babies. She described securely attached children as those who rely on their parents as a "safe haven," which allows them to explore their environments freely, adapt easily to new people and be comforted in stressful situations. Toddlers who are insecurely attached tend to have experienced negative or unpredictable parenting, and may respond to stress with extreme anger, fear or anxiety, or avoid or refuse interactions with others.

When babies and toddlers form insecure attachments in their early childhood, they are more susceptible to a range of adult psychological and physiological disorders. Poor bonding as children leads to poor bonding with peers and later with intimate others. Eating is used as a way of dealing with stressful situations, and chronic over-eating leads to the array of diseases mentioned previously.

The problem is staggering and if we are to address it effectively we will have to do something nearly impossible: change our values. Adults must put the primary emphasis on child rearing rather than on their careers. Their child’s well-being must take priority over their jobs. They must be sure their child is getting quality attention. The key word is “quality.”

A parent who stays home and resents it will not foster quality intimacy and will not be helping a child to form a good bond. Parents who stay home but give their children sugary foods whenever they are down rather than giving them emotional comfort will be unwittingly encouraging obesity.

A good parent is not just there but also emotionally there.