Divorce Increases the Risk of Obesity in Children, Study

A new study links divorce to an elevated risk of obesity among children and the risk is even higher among boys.

The finding is based on an analysis of over 3000 participants from 127 different schools across Norway. The children were a part of the National 2010 Norwegian Child Growth Study.  As a part of the study, the height, weight and waist circumference of children of average age 8, was measured.

The results were classified based on the gender and the marital status of the parents. The researchers even considered other significant factors such as education of mother, ethnic origin and area of residence.

Going by the International Obesity Task Force definition the, researchers found that nearly 19 percent of the children were overweight or obese while abdominal obesity was seen in 8.9 percent of the children.  Girls were more overweight/obese compared to boys, but no significant difference in abdominal obesity was noticed.

The rate of obesity was higher among children whose parents were divorced compared to those whose parents were married. The children of divorced parents were 54 percent more vulnerable to be overweight and 89 percent more likely to be obese.  Those parents who were never married even their children had the similar prevalence of overweight/ obesity.

Compared to girls, boys of divorced parents were more likely to suffer from excess body weight. Boys of divorced parents had 104 percent higher risk of abdominal obesity and 63 percent risk of overweight/obesity.

"Possible explanations for the link could include less time spent on domestic tasks such as cooking; an over-reliance on unhealthier convenience foods and ready meals; and lower household income.

The emotional fall-out of a divorce and resulting stress generated by disruptions in the parent-child relationship, ongoing conflict between the exes, moving home and the need to create new social networks, might also explain the findings, the authors suggest. And boys might just be more vulnerable," the researchers explain.

This study is documented in BMJ Open.