Studies show psychobiotics can foster the temporary dampening of stress and anxiety, and improvements in both cognitive health and mood.

The microbiome is suspected of having something to do with anxiety, depression, autism, hyperactivity, and other mind- and behavior-related problems.

Reports show the microbiota could affect brain function and behavior, and also contribute to diseases ranging from inflammation to obesity.

The Republic of Ireland ranks 58th for its proportion of overweight youth, a much worse rating than those held by the United Kingdom and the United States.

Few physicians have been trained to identify the causes of non-compliant behavior, and even fewer have the skills to prevent or counteract it.

Non-compliant behavior is pervasive, often unintentional, and sometimes unavoidable. It also hurts patients and frustrates doctors.

The number of overweight or obese children in Wigan Pier, U.K., is higher than the national average. Here’s what the local government is doing about it.

Because the United Kingdom has similar laws to the U.S.A. and a very familiar obesity problem, Childhood Obesity News has been tracking what goes on there.

Body-focused repetitive behaviors qualify as a coping mechanism, because they are used to cope with stress. But having a BFRB habit is not a promising path.

What do Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) have to do with childhood obesity? Only everything!

Why do we think we not good enough, not beautiful enough, not thin enough, not smart enough, not successful enough? Because we compare ourselves to others.

Although it’s a survival mechanism, FOMO has side effects. When the experience of eating is the thing a person feels deprived of, obesity can easily result.

On the subject of mental health professionals and obesity, it is worth noting that a lot of obesity-causing behavior is based on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Standup comedian Lisa Lampanelli’s play “Stuffed” revolves around women and their food and body-image issues.

But if fat is officially not funny an awful lot of professional comedians have not received the memo.

FOMO is a treatable problem that can be approached in a number of ways by allied healthcare providers who are neither MDs nor psychiatrists.

Many mental disorders evolve from common roots, and mental health professionals are eminently equipped to treat compulsive overeating and under-eating.

Disordered overeating and obesity in youth stem from psychological problems. Disordered overeating that leads to obesity is, by definition, an eating disorder.

Dr. Pretlow makes a good case for the idea that obesity is primarily a psychological problem, and even a layperson knows that depression leads to overeating.

Is obesity an eating disorder? Yes. Obesity and caloric intake are inextricably entwined, but it’s also possible for people who don’t overeat to become obese.

To overcome FOMO, abolish the scarcity mindset and cultivate the abundance mindset. Bring mindfulness to the table for every meal.

Life provides unlimited opportunities for food FOMO, largely because humans believe every meeting of family and friends must include food.

To experience FOMO a person must first feel entitled to have the desired thing. There is a conviction that one is owed something.

There is a link between the McDonald’s slogan “You deserve a break today” and the obesity epidemic, and especially its connection with FOMO.

Are obese kids miserable? According to many indications, the answer is yes, although getting confirmation is not as easy as it sounds.

Dr. Pretlow’s article, “Addiction to Highly Pleasurable Food as a Cause of the Childhood Obesity Epidemic…” was named one of the top 25 articles by EDJTP.

Quality of life comes in several varieties, and none of them can perform its magic if the person is depressed, as is often the case with obese children.

Today, we look back over some interesting angles on the quality of life experienced by obese children and teenagers, and how that quality can be improved.

A study of obesity-based rejection found that psychological health can be negatively impacted by just the expectation of being devalued.

In certain literary and media circles, the friction between writer Lindy West and editor Dan Savage on the topic of fat acceptance generated a lot of attention.