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Current Obesity Reports
Published in: Current Obesity Reports 2/2018

Open Access 01-06-2018 | Etiology of Obesity (T Gill, Section Editor)

Early Childhood Obesity Risk Factors: Socioeconomic Adversity, Family Dysfunction, Offspring Distress, and Junk Food Self-Medication

Author: Erik Hemmingsson

Published in: Current Obesity Reports | Issue 2/2018

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To explore the sequence and interaction of infancy and early childhood risk factors, particularly relating to disturbances in the social environment, and how the consequences of such exposures can promote weight gain and obesity.

Recent Findings

This review will argue that socioeconomic adversity is a key upstream catalyst that sets the stage for critical midstream risk factors such as family strain and dysfunction, offspring insecurity, stress, emotional turmoil, low self-esteem, and poor mental health. These midstream risk factors, particularly stress and emotional turmoil, create a more or less perfect foil for calorie-dense junk food self-medication and subtle addiction, to alleviate uncomfortable psychological and emotional states.

Summary

Disturbances in the social environment during infancy and early childhood appear to play a critical role in weight gain and obesity, through such mechanisms as insecurity, stress, and emotional turmoil, eventually leading to junk food self-medication and subtle addiction.
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Metadata
Title
Early Childhood Obesity Risk Factors: Socioeconomic Adversity, Family Dysfunction, Offspring Distress, and Junk Food Self-Medication
Author
Erik Hemmingsson
Publication date
01-06-2018
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Obesity Reports / Issue 2/2018
Electronic ISSN: 2162-4968
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0310-2

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