Children of divorced or separated couples consume more sugary drinks than others, according to an American study. With the risk of overweight and obesity.
Soda, syrup, fruit juice or even flavored water… All children love them. But according to an American study published in the journal Childhood Obesity, some children find it difficult to limit themselves.
According to this work, the children of recently separated or divorced couples consume more sugary drinks than children in families where the parents are still together. This increased consumption is not without risk for these children because it increases the risk of obesity in adolescence or adulthood.
Stress and bad habits
For five days, researchers at the University of San Francisco followed families, parents and children, who had to keep a journal in which they wrote down their meals and small snacks. On reading the newspapers, the authors noted this higher consumption. However, separation or divorce does not appear to have an impact on other eating behaviors such as skipping breakfast or dining out.
This preference for these beverages is explained, in part, by the stress associated with divorce. “These drinks are nice and they are accessible. The brain reacts with great pleasure when drinking a soda or an energy drink, ”says Jeff Cookston, head of flesh psychology at the University of San Francisco and lead author of the study.
However, “their consumption is one of two elements, along with the increase in sugar consumption, which we have identified as strongly associated with the obesity epidemic in the United States. ”
Indeed, nearly 35% of American children aged 6 to 11 are overweight. In France, 14.3% of those under 15 are overweight, i.e. 1.7 million children.
Nothing better than a good meal
The disruption of eating habits at home is also involved. “During a separation, what changes the most for a child is their daily routine. Children seek consistency in their family environment, and familiar routines provide them with security and consistency, ”comments Jeff Cookston.
So, one of the solutions put forward is maintaining meal times with the family, despite the separation. Because, the researchers were able to note that within those which are separated who ate regularly together and which continued to organize family outings, the children did not take refuge in a bad diet. And surprisingly, the presence of parents, as long and warm as it is, did not bring the same benefits as a good meal with the family.
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