What can parents do to decrease obesity and its negative consequences? Parents often wonder what they can do to help their children have healthy body weights and feel good about their bodies. Researchers within the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, particularly Drs. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and Mary Story, are exploring questions such as:
- What can parents do to help prevent or reduce obesity in their children?
- What can parents do to help reduce the psychological and social consequences of being overweight in a thin-oriented society?
Research shows that parents play an important role in helping their children make healthier food choices, be physically active, and avoid unhealthy weight control practices. They may influence their children through their genes, their own behaviors, and their support and encouragement for healthy behaviors. Research suggests that it may be best to “do more and say less.”
For example, providing fruits and vegetables to children as snacks and at meals may be more effective in leading to healthier food choices than talking about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. Making the home environment one in which healthy choices are the easy choices seems to be the way to go. Look at the information provided on these pages for ideas!
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