Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Heavy Children Likely to Befriend One Another

Overweight children are twice as likely as normal weight children to have overweight friends, according to a study from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
  • Researchers surveyed 617 students ages 11 to 13 years old, most of whom were in seventh grade.
  • The overweight children in the study were more likely to have overweight friends
  • Overweight girls were less likely to be named friends of normal weight girls.
These results have two important implications: the social contagion of obesity may start at a young age and social affiliations by obesity status may have far-reaching consequences for adolescent development, said Professor Thomas Valente.

This study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: research, overweight children, friends

Posted By: Aspen/CRC