Chapter 1 of 7 · Fundamentals
Stress mechanisms
Stress-Obesity Relationship and Physiological Mechanisms
Expert statements on this page
No expert statements were drawn from this page.
Host summaries · secondary, not cited in answers
Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Talk to your (or your child's) care team about your situation.
Video
Weight Bias: Child & Adolescent Obesity 2015
34 min · Published Jul 2017
Video
Public Policies to Address Obesity: Pediatric Obesity 2017
46 min · Published Feb 2018
Video
Traci Williams, MD - 2024 Pediatric Bariatric Surgery Update Course
19 min · Published Feb 2024
Video
Manish Raiji, MD - 2024 Pediatric Bariatric Surgery Update Course
15 min · Published Feb 2024
Video
Pediatric Obesity Is a Disease: Treatment, Medications, Surgery & Equity in Care with Dr. Justin Ryder
Lurie Children's Hospital · 6 min · Published Mar 2026
Video
Obesity: Advanced Practice Providers
36 min · Published Feb 2014
Video
Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative (PSORC): Studying Rare Pediatric Tumors
56 s · Published May 2026
Video
Update Course Rewind 2025: Hirschsprung + ARM: Rare but Real
1 min · Published May 2026
Video
Pooling Patients to Study Rare Pediatric Tumors: An Introduction to PSORC
56 s · Published May 2026
Video
The fetal frontier: A review of current and emerging fetal therapies for genetic diseases
44 s · Published May 2026
Video
Indocyanine green assists with sentinel lymph node mapping in pediatric and adolescent patients
1 min · Published May 2026
Video
Tricuspid valve surgery in transposition of the great arteries with a systemic right ventricle
46 s · Published May 2026
What the experts said
Stress can exert its influences both physiologically and behaviorally on obesity development, maintenance, and exacerbation
Stress can disregulate the endocrine system, causing elevations of stress hormones as well as insulin levels
Chronic stress can over time contribute to the accumulation of visceral fats
Those who are stressed out are more likely to worry, have problems concentrating and planning and focusing
Chronic stress causes a decrease in sleep quality, healthy diet, regular physical activity, and restful sleep
There is evidence that toxic stress can lead to adverse changes to brain structures and organ systems
Stress can exacerbate medical problems like asthma and diabetes in children
Among girls, stress increases internalizing disorders like anxiety and depression; among boys, conduct disorder or behavioral problems are more common
Excess weight in children may have already elevated stress hormones, and additional stress further exacerbates this situation
Individuals who identify as an ethnic minority often report greater stress levels on a daily basis
Immigrant populations, particularly first or second generation, experience greater stress levels
These high-stress populations (ethnic minorities, immigrants) are less likely to seek help or mental health services
There is a strong link between the experience of stress for those living in poverty and obesity
Food deserts are concentrations of areas with lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, lack of grocery stores, and overabundance of calorie-dense but nutritionally poor convenience foods
There is evidence that high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods can diminish arousal in the body during stress
Children thrive with consistent routines for dinners, bedtimes, and physical activity
The Perceived Stress Scale is one of the most widely used measures of stress, consists of about 10 items, takes less than 10 minutes to administer, and is written at a middle school level
First-line treatment for anxiety involves teaching a patient how to manage their stress more effectively through stress management techniques
Physical activity improves mood, concentration, and focus, and is a great way to get blood circulating
Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helps decrease heart rate, boost mood, boost blood circulation, and help the body return to homeostasis
It takes less than 3 minutes to teach a child how to do deep breathing
Children and adolescents are recommended to get at least 9 hours of sleep
Most teens fall 1 to 2 hours short of the recommended 9 hours of sleep
Sleep deprivation can have a depressed effect on mood, decrease energy, and make it difficult to engage in effective coping strategies
CDC study of approximately 18,000 adults found strong correlation between presence of an adverse childhood experience (ACE) and later development of medical and mental health problems
Individuals who experienced at least one adverse childhood experience were more likely to have subsequent ACEs
When youth are stressed and turn to food, they tend to engage in eating in response to other emotions as well, not just stress
The level of parental stress that children perceive has been associated with increases in child fast food consumption, poor sleep quality, decreased likelihood of meeting physical activity recommendations, and less likely to have boundaries on screen time