Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mothers who financially struggle to provide food for their families tend to put themselves at risk for obesity while trying to feed their children, according to Penn State sociologists. Mothers who do not have enough money to provide adequate food for their families are more likely to be obese or overweight than fathers who face food shortages, as well as food-insecure, childless women and men, said Molly Martin, assistant professor of sociology and demography. Over time, these food-insecure mothers also gain more weight compared to all food-insecure men and food-insecure women not caring for children.
"We often forget that food insecurity is happening in a country as rich as ours," said Martin. "Trying to protect children from food insecurity is not as rare as it once was, and it's been on the rise for the last two years, if not the last five years." (more)
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Attending a financially poor school may have more of an effect on unhealthy adolescent weight than family poverty, according to Penn State sociologists. Poor schools even influence how parental education protects kids from becoming overweight. "It was once thought that family income was the main factor when we talk about the research on adolescent weight," said Molly Martin, assistant professor of sociology and demography. "That's not true. The environments the children live in play a key role in weight problems among adolescents." (more)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A recent Penn State study on teens and body image yielded some surprising results. "Past researchers may have missed the key groups: normal weight girls who think they are overweight, and underweight boys," said Jason Houle, graduate student in sociology and demography. It's not just weight that troubles kids, it's the combination of weight and weight perceptions, he added. "Clinicians cannot assume that healthy weight adolescents know their weight is healthy or feel good about it," said Michelle Frisco, assistant professor of sociology and demography. (more)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A new Penn State study shows that family lifestyle has a significant impact on teenagers' weight. Children are heavier if their families skip or miss some meals, such as breakfast, or if their families watch TV or play video games for several hours a day. This is true regardless of the teenager's genetic risk of being overweight. The study, published in a special issue of the American Journal of Sociology on social factors and genetics, is the first to demonstrate that the link between parents' obesity and the weight of their children is both social and genetic in origin. (more)
