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.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Belly Fat Linked to Depression

Here's yet another reason to help your children achieve and maintain a healthy body weight: Having a large waist means you're more likely to depressed, according to a new study from the University of Alabama.

Researchers studied longitudinal data on 5115 people ages 18 to 30 years old to try to determine which comes first -- a person's depression or his or her large waist.

"We found that everyone as a whole gained weight during the 15-year period of time we examined," said Professor Belinda Needham, lead author of the study. "However, the people who started reporting high levels of depression increased in abdominal obesity and BMI at a faster rate than those reported fewer symptoms of depression in year five. "

This study appeared in the American Journal of Public Health.
 

Labels: health, depression

Posted By: Jane St. Clair