Annoying brother or sister may break your toys, but he or she may help you when you are in trouble. A new study suggests that younger siblings might be good for your health.
Children who didn't welcome a baby brother or sister into the family before first grade had almost three times the likelihood of obesity compared with kids who experienced the birth of a sibling when they were around 3 to 4 years old, the study found.
“It is possibly because when there is a younger sibling in the family, a child might become more active—for example, running around more with their younger sibling,” said Julie Lumeng, a public health researcher at the University of Michigan.
“Maybe families are more likely to take the kids to the park when there is a younger sibling, or maybe the child is less likely to sit, watching TV, when there is a younger sibling to ask them to join more active pretend play,” she added.
Mealtimes might also be different with a second kid at the table.Parents of only child can often focus too much on what their kid eats, which can lead to bad eating habits, some previous research suggests.
“When parents use restrictive or pressuretoeat feeding practices, children have an increased risk of being overweight,” said Jerica Berge, a researcher at the University of Minnesota.
“When a new child is introduced, parents may relax their focus on the older child's eating behaviors, making it possible for the older child to selfregulate their eating,” said Berge. “This selfregulation may lead to a healthier weight for the child with a sibling.”
For their study, Lumeng and colleagues followed 697 U.S. children from birth through age 6.However,the authors acknowledged that their study lacked objectively measured birth weights and information on events such as a divorce, a move or a job loss in the family—all of which can influence the odds of children becoming obese. For more information about this topic, please click here.
12. Compared to children with younger siblings, an only child may
.A.become overweight | B.become selfish |
C.have a healthier lifestyle | D.get better parental care |
13. How may children change when they have a younger sibling?
A.They may refuse to play at home. | B.They may have more physical activities. |
C.They may feel annoyed and unhappy. | D.They may spend more time with their parents. |
14. For parents, which of the following may be good for their children's health?
A.Paying more attention to kids' eating habits. |
B.Using some restrictive feeding practices. |
C.Allowing kids to control their eating. |
D.Letting the older child regulate the diet of the younger child. |
15. Where can we read this passage?
A.On TV. | B.On the Internet. | C.On the radio. | D.In the newspaper. |