Parental Influence On Obesity In Children

As of 2006, 18.8 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 and 17.4 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 were obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Being obese puts these children at risk for being overweight as adults, as well as for serious health conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease, says the University of Florida. Parents influence the weight of their children in various ways.

Obesity Risk Factors

Although the main factors involved with being overweight are consuming too many calories and not exercising enough, genetics and social factors, such as the environment in which a child is raised, media and ethnicity can play a part as well, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children who are minorities and children who have overweight parents are more likely to be overweight.

Research

A study by Robert C Klesges published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1991 found that when children thought that their parents would be monitoring their food selections they were more likely to choose healthier options.

Another study conducted in 2006 by Darcy L. Johannsen and published in "Obesity" found that a mother's concern that her child had risky eating habits and the mother's body mass index, or BMI, were related to the BMI of her children.

Influences

The types and amounts of foods that parents offer their children, the amount of time children are left unsupervised and eating experiences in social situations can all influence how likely a child is to be overweight, according to the Department of Health & Human Services. The examples set by parents regarding exercise and eating habits may also influence the exercising and eating habits of the child, thus influencing her weight.

When parents spend less time at home, they may be more likely to rely on processed foods that are less healthy, and children who spend time on their own may be less likely to exercise or choose healthy foods and be likely to spend more time inside watching television or on the computer.

Prevention

Parents adopting healthy eating and exercise practices serve as good examples to their children, and eating together as a family may make it less likely that children become overweight. Schools and communities can also put in place programs to help promote healthy practices that will lower the risk of obesity, according to the University of Florida. However, putting in place restrictions on the types and amounts of foods that a child can eat that are very strict may backfire, according to Johannsen, making these foods more desirable.

Expert Insight

The University of Florida notes that programs aimed at reducing obesity in younger children appear to work better than those aimed at adolescents, and family-based programs that teach behavioral management techniques tend to be the most successful, because these focus not just on the child, but on the family as well, taking into account parents' influences on children's behaviors.