Divorce Influencing Children’s Sugary Drinks Intake

Childhood obesity is of great concern in health care, as more and more children are developing obesity related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, thyroid diseases and joint pain.  In an effort to reverse this epidemic, researchers are continually trying to discover both genetic and environmental factors that have influenced more than one third of children and adolescents to be overweight and obese in the United States.  As an intuitive eating counselor, much of what I see in my adult patients that contributes to their weight is poor eating habits due to environmental stressors.

A recent study from San Francisco State University, found that such stressors have the same impact on food choices among children, particularly among children with divorced or separated parents.  Children and parents of both divorced and married families were interviewed by researchers and asked to keep five day food diaries of their eating habits.  The data revealed that children whose parents were recently separated or divorced were much more likely to drink sugar-sweetened beverages on a daily bases opposed to children whose parents were married.  Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

It has been well understood that the family environment has a profound impact on a child’s eating behaviors.  Children are social learners, which is why it is so important as parents to lead by example when it comes to your food choices.  The thought behind why children with married parents drink less sugary beverages is that family routines, such as family meal time or parent-child conversations remain intact.  Divorce can put a great deal of stress on families, and children are affected by this stress just as adults are. One researcher from this study explained that the reason why children with divorced parents drink more sugar-sweetened beverages is that they offer a “quick fix” for dealing with that stress; the brain reacts with enjoyment and this is pleasurable and accessible for children who are dealing with this stress.

Divorce is becoming more and more common nowadays.  In fact, more than 1 million children are experiencing their parents divorcing every year, which may be something to think about regarding why childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions.  If you have children who are overweight or obese and you believe it could be influenced by family stressors the good news is that it can be overcome.  Family routines can remain intact even if you and your partner are divorced.  Always try and maintain open communication with your children, be a role model and encourage healthier food choices within your home.  Most importantly, make sure that you and your ex-spouse are on the same page when it comes to your children and together, you can make a change in your child’s overall health.

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