Mom and Dad's Participation Influences Weight Loss in Their Children
Obese children whose parents also participated in a weight-loss program and dropped pounds were more likely to lose weight compared with those whose parents did not slim down....
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The findings suggest doctors should promote weight loss among parents to help manage the weight of their obese children, researchers said.
Parents wondering how to help their overweight children to slim down could do well to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Researchers found that obese youngsters were far more successful at shedding the excess pounds if their parents got in shape with them.
"We looked at things such as parenting skills and styles, or changing the home food environment, and how they impacted a child's weight," said study author Dr. Kerri N. Boutelle at UC San Diego.
"The number one way in which parents can help an obese child lose weight? Lose weight themselves. In this study, it was the most important predictor of child weight loss."
Researchers from UC San Diego and the University of Minnesota looked at eighty parent-child groups with an 8 to 12-year-old overweight or obese child. They participated in a parent-only or parent and child treatment program for five months. The study focused on evaluating the impact of three types of parenting skills taught in family-based behavioral treatment for childhood obesity, and the impact of each on the child's body weight. These were: behaviors to help the parents lose weight and act as a role model; changes in the home food environment; and parenting techniques (such as the ability to limit the child's intake).
Dr. Boutelle wrote that the researchers found it was only when the parents slimmed down that the children consistently did likewise. They concluded that doctors should focus on encouraging parents to lose weight to help their overweight or obese child in weight management. "Parents are the most significant people in a child's environment, serving as the first and most important teachers."
"They play a significant role in any weight-loss program for children, and this study confirms the importance of their example in establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors for their kids."
Published in the advanced online edition of the journal Obesity. March 2012
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