Levels of the stress hormone cortisol in obese children is higher than peers who are not obese.
Researchers from the Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital in the Netherlands reveal the findings published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Even so, the current research does not explain whether obese children are more prone to stress than children of normal weight peers. This finding is also not clear whether obese children cope with stress in different ways.
The researchers measured cortisol levels in 20 obese children using their hair samples ( 15 women and five men). The same was done on 20 children with normal weight. They are between 8-12 years of age. These children do not suffer from a chronic disease, but three kids obese metabolic syndrome.
Obese children have cortisol concentrations average 25 milligrams pictogram of any head of hair. While normal children, the concentration of each pictogram kortisolnya 17 milligrams of head hair. Cortisol concentrations in the hair samples indicate exposure to cortisol during the month.
" We did not expect to find obese children, at the age of eight, has experienced increased levels of cortisol. By analyzing the head hair of children, we confirm that high cortisol levels persist over time, " said the researcher, Erica van den Akker.
According to the researchers, further research is needed to get the reasons behind the link between stress hormones and these obese children.
Indeed, not all stress is bad. According to the Mayo Clinic, acute stress can also increase alertness and increased cognitive ability. But chronic stress associated with health problems such as weight gain, heart disease, digestive disorders, depression to anxiety.
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