The weight of stress: Helping parents may protect children from obesity

In recent years, rates of childhood obesity have been rising, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimating in 2024 that approximately one in five children and adolescents met the clinical definition of obese. But preventing childhood obesity is a complex undertaking. While encouraging a healthy diet and adequate exercise have long been two strategies for reducing risk of obesity in children, Yale researchers have recently identified a crucial third: lowering parent stress.