(From Healthy Families:) What do your friends mean to you? According to recent research, they could be more important to your health, happiness, and longevity than you may think. For proof, San Fransisco State University professor Brian De Vries, writing in a recent issue of the Vanier Institute of the Family’s Transitions magazine, points to an Australian study of 1500 individuals over the age of 70 which revealed that those with the largest social networks lived longer, while the influence of children and family seemed to have little impact on length of life. De Vries, a gerontologist, also points out that according to Statistics Canada, approximately 20% of all caregivers supporting seniors are “friends or neighbours, often women and men of comparable ages to the care recipient.” And, he adds, “there is a strong reason to suspect that these numbers greatly underestimate the proportions of friends providing care.” 

As Canada’s population continues to age, (It is predicted that 20% of Canada’s population will be 65 and older within 2 decades), points out DeVries, “the capacity of friends to do the ‘work’ formerly ascribed to family has perhaps never been so apparent—or even so necessary.” So exactly when does a caring relationship stop being friendship and start becoming family? That’s the question that interests De Vries, who argues that the central importance of friendship in the lives of many older adults may be redefining our understanding of family. To understand the significance of later life friendships, he compares these relationships to the families of choice pioneered by members of the lesbian and gay community: “A family is a circle of friends who love you. You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends and make a family. Creating a family of friends is really a joy. The rewards are immense.” De Vries suggests that in the years ahead, as more and more seniors come to depend upon friends, policy and program changes will be needed to recognize and facilitate these important “family” relationships.

(From Healthy Families):

Early childhood attachment and obesity. Why would these two issues even show up in the same sentence? Well, according to research recently published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, insecure mother-child attachment is linked to a greater risk of obesity in young children.

Researchers at Ohio State University and Temple University studied 6,650 children, evaluating them twice, first at age 2 and again at 4 ½. The researchers observed the children at home with their mothers, looking for 45 behavioral cues including: could upset children be comforted through contact with their mothers? Did the children seek out hugs and physical touch from their mothers? 

The results? Researchers found that toddlers that were considered “insecurely attached” had a 30% greater chance of being obese at 4 ½. Sarah Anderson, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and the study’s lead author explains that “The same areas of the brain regulate stress response and appetite control, so if a child is stressed because he’s not being attended to, it’s more likely he will be obese later on and will also use food as a way to respond to stress.”. 

David Sheftel, Program Coordinator at the BC Council for Families, notes that, “Time and time again research shows us just how immense and far-reaching the effects of parent-child attachment can be. A secure attachment can increase positive emotional, behavioral and health outcomes for children.”

When a toddler feels confident that his parent will give him quick, consistent and sensitive responses to his needs he feels free to explore and seek out new experiences. Sheftel adds,”Developing a secure attachment during the first 2 years of an infant’s life builds the foundation on which a child bases his views of how safe the world is, what a healthy relationship is and develops his ability to self regulate. All are important aspects of brain development which will last a child throughout his whole life,’.

To learn more about attachment, check out David’s article in the most recent issue of Family Connections magazine. Attachment resources can also be found in the Resource section of our website.