Stress linked to greater weight gain in black girls

The link between chronic stress and weight gain is much stronger in black girls than white girls, and may help explain why black girls are more likely to be overweight, according to a new study.

In the United States, the obesity rate in blacks is 50 percent higher than in whites, the researchers noted. The difference is apparent even in childhood, particularly among female teens.

Researchers looked at obesity rates among nearly 2,400 girls, who were followed for up to 10 years beginning at age 10 as part of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Growth and Health Study. The researchers also looked at the girls' stress levels over that time.

Blacks tend to experience greater psychological stress partly because of perceived racial discrimination, the researchers said. The findings suggest that stress may play a major role in the obesity epidemic as well as racial disparities in obesity rates, they added. -- HealthDay