Children with emotional difficulties have a greater risk of becoming obese in adulthood, new research has found.

    In the study, published online Sept. 11 in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers from the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, examined data from about 6,500 members of the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study.

    Participants in the 1970 study had been assessed when they were 10 years old for emotional problems, self-perceptions and their body-mass index （BMI）, a height-to-weight ratio. They reported their BMI again at age 30.

    The researchers found that children with a lower self-esteem, those who felt less in control of their lives and those who were often worried were more likely to have a higher BMI over the next two decades.

    It was also noted that girls were more affected by these factors than boys, the study authors pointed out in a news release from the journal's publisher.

    The findings also suggested that childhood emotional problems may be another factor that can lead to excess weight, according to the researchers.

    "While we cannot say that childhood emotional problems cause obesity in later life, we can certainly say they play a role, along with factors such as parental BMI, diet and exercise," study co-author Andrew Ternouth said in the news release.

    Early intervention for children suffering from low self-esteem, anxiety or other emotional challenges could help improve their chances of being healthy later in life, the researchers added.

    "Given the growing problem with childhood obesity in many western societies, these findings are particularly important," the authors concluded. "They may offer hope in the battle to control the current obesity epidemic."

    新的研究发现，受到情绪困扰的孩子有更大的几率在成年后过度肥胖。

    这项研究结果刊登在9月11日的《BMC 医学》杂志上。来自伦敦国王学院精神病学协会的医学研究理事会（MRC）社会、遗传和进化精神病学研究中心的研究人员们对《1970年英国出生群组研究》中大约 6,500 个研究对象的资料进行了调查。

    在1970年研究中的参与者10岁的时候，曾经对他们情绪方面的问题、自认知能力以及他们的体重指数（BMI）--体重对身高的比--进行过评估。在30岁的时候，他们再次报告了自己的体重指数（BMI）.

    研究人员们发现，具有较低自尊的孩子，那些认为更少掌控自己的生活以及那些经常闷闷不乐的孩子，在下二十年过后更可能具有较高的 BMI.

    这项研究的作者在杂志出版商的一次新闻发布会上指出，还要注意的是，女孩子比男孩子更受这些因素的影响。

    根据研究人员门的说法，调查结果也显示儿童情绪问题可能是导致体重超标的另一个因素。

    "然而，我们不能说儿童的情绪问题导致在以后的生活中肥胖，我们可以肯定地说它们随同诸如父母的 BMI、饮食和锻炼等因素一起起作用，"研究报告的共同撰写者安德鲁 特尔劳斯在新闻发布会上说。

    对遭受低自尊、焦虑或其它心理挑战的孩子进行早期干预，可能有助于增进他们在以后生活中健康的机会，研究者们补充说。

    "鉴于许多西方国家儿童肥胖问题日益严重，这些发现是特别重要的，"作者总结说。"它们可能在控制当前肥胖病的流行的斗争中提供希望。"