蜜芽传媒

A new study by Imperial College London suggests that children whose parents who lack empathy or support are more likely to grow up overweight or obese.

Their analysis of data on 10,000 children in the UK found authoritarian and neglectful parenting in early childhood were linked with higher weight throughout childhood and adolescence. Both types of parenting are characterised by a lack of warmth.

The findings are being presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne, Australia.

The lead researcher, Alexa Segal, said: "Parents that exert a lot of power and control over their child but also have higher levels of warmth are associated with the lowest weight. We found that warmth is what's driving this decreased weight."

(Photot Credit / Getty images)