Obesity can lead to increased stress levels among children, a latest study shows.
The study found that obese children produce higher levels of a key stress hormone, cortisol, when compared to their peers.
Researchers stated that cortisol is produced in the body following stress. Cortisol along with other stress hormones can increase the risk of health problems.
For the study, the researchers analysed hair samples of 20 obese children and 20 normal weight children. Each group included 15 girls and 5 boys between the ages of 8 and 12. They measured the cortisol levels of each particpant.
"We were surprised to find obese children, as young as age 8, already had elevated cortisol levels," said one of the study's authors, Erica van den Akker, from Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. "By analysing children's scalp hair, we were able to confirm high cortisol levels persisted over time," van den Akker explained in a press release.
The researchers found that the children in obese group had an average cortisol concentration of 25 pg/mg in their scalp hair, whereas the normal weight group children had an average concentration of 17 pg/mg. The hormone concentrations found in hair reflect cortisol exposure over the course of about one month, researchers explained.
"Because this study took an observational approach, more research will determine the cause of this phenomenon," van den Akker said.
"We do not know whether obese children actually experience more psychological stress or if their bodies handle stress hormones differently. Answering these key questions will improve our understanding of childhood obesity and may change the way we treat it," said van den Akker.
The study was published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
