Stress and Pediatric Obesity: Neurobiology and Behavior

Abstract

Pediatric and adolescent obesity commonly coexist with stress‐related symptoms and disorders. Stress, the state of threatened homeostasis, is associated with the acute activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. However, the chronic activation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal and sympathetic nervous system axes during chronic or intense stress can lead to a variety of psychopathological and physical conditions. Behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms link chronic stress with pediatric obesity, in a bidirectional relation. Chronically stressed individuals are characterized by low adherence to a healthy lifestyle and by disturbed eating behaviors, whereas alterations in the secretion of stress hormones might also contribute to obesity and obesity‐related complications. Obesity could lead to increased social distress, low self‐esteem, and anxiety, thereby contributing to a vicious cycle between distress and obesity and increasing further the risk of cardiometabolic morbidity. This review article summarizes recent research findings and discusses mechanisms linking stress with pediatric obesity.

Family Ecologies and Child Risk for Obesity: Focus on Regulatory Processes

“…Genetic Regulations. There is no discounting that there are genetic and biological contributions to risk for obesity (see Pervanidou & Chrousos, 2016); however, these risks are typically modulated by the environment as genetic susceptibility to obesity will likely lead to different phenotypic outcomes because of differing exposure to and interactions within obesogenic and non-obesogenic environments over time (Rhee, Phelan, & McCaffrey, 2012). Genome-wide association studies in children and adolescents have identified more than 20 genes that place a child at risk for obesity (Salsberry & Reagan, 2010).…”

Stress and eating behaviors in children and adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis

“…It is through this pathway that stress is thought to contribute (at least partially) to the increased prevalence of childhood obesity (Pervanidou & Chrousos, 2016). Identifying the types of health behaviors children and adolescents engage in is important within this critical age, because these behaviors can translate to habits which continue into adulthood (MikkilŠ, RŠsŠnen, Raitakari, Pietinen, & Viikari, 2005).…”

Associations Between School Readiness and Obesity‐ and Inflammation‐Related Biomarkers in Low‐Income Preschoolers Within the Healthy Kids Study

“…An association between obesity and cognitive development may be particularly relevant to understand for children from low‐income backgrounds, and in particular those who have experienced high levels of stress in early life, who are at greater risk for both obesity (e.g., Miller, Dawson, & Welker, ; Pan et al, ) and academic deficits starting with lower levels of school readiness (Hackman, Farah, & Meaney, ; Pratt, McClelland, Swanson, & Lipscomb, ). Given associations between early life stress with leptin and inflammation (David, Measelle, Ostlund, & Ablow, ; Miller et al, ; Nusslock & Miller, ; Pervanidou & Chrousos, ), the negative links between obesity and cognition may be further exacerbated for children who experience higher levels of stress in early life.…”