Stress, Stress Reduction and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence.

There is evidence that stress exposure in childhood and adolescence promotes biological and behavioral alterations that contribute to the multifactorial pathogenesis of obesity. COVID-19 related-stress presents the most current example of a negative influence on weight development in children and adolescents. However, longitudinal studies on the linkage between environmental, behavioral, and biological factors across development are few, and results are partly equivocal. Intervention programs to reduce stress in children through mindfulness might be a promising adjunctive tool in the prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity that could further offer proof of concept of theoretically elaborated cause-and-effect relationships.