title: The role of emotion regulation in childhood obesity: implications for prevention and treatment.
abstract: Stress and negative emotions pose a major threat to public health, by increasing the risk of obesity. Since the management process for emotions (emotion regulation; ER) is developed in childhood, we present a novel conceptual framework model for the role of ER in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. A narrative review of the literature by electronic database search (MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge and Scopus) was conducted of observational and interventional/experimental literature on ER and obesity and the underlying concepts. We also present an overview of ER intervention techniques. Our model indicates that childhood ER is a link between stress and obesity. Stress along with ineffective ER leads to abnormal cortisol patterns, emotional eating, sedentary lifestyle, reduction of physical activity, and sleep problems. Simultaneously, a healthy lifestyle could show benefits on ER and in developing adaptive ER strategies. In the development of obesity and ER, parents also play a role. By contrast, effective ER skills decrease obesity-related unhealthy behaviour and enhance protective factors, which boost health. The literature contains some observational studies of children but very few intervention studies, most of which are pilot or on-going studies. In conclusion, encouraging effective ER could be a useful new approach for combating and treating childhood obesity. Future ER intervention studies are needed to confirm the validity of this model in children.
authors.affiliation: 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Nutrition and Mental Health Research Group (NUTRISAM),Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV),Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV),Reus,Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aparicio
authors.affiliation: 2Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology,Nutrition and Mental Health Research Group (NUTRISAM),Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV),Universitat Rovira i Virgili,Tarragona,Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Canals
authors.affiliation: 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Nutrition and Mental Health Research Group (NUTRISAM),Institut de Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV),Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV),Reus,Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arija
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Ghent University;Ghent,Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Ghent University;Ghent,Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michels
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
keywords: Children; ER emotion regulation; Emotion regulation; Obesity; Prevention; Treatment