Family Dynamics affect Childhood Obesity

Negative Family Patterns Lead to Overweight Children

Families have a profound impact on a child’s body weight and this is especially true in the case of parenting strategies like food restrictions, reward systems using foods and rigid exercise schedules along with the parent’s eating habits.

What Exactly is Happening?

Though different individuals have different stories behind their dislike towards certain fruits and vegetables, the underlying message remains the same – they can never eat that particular fruit or veggie. Parents wish for their kids to grow into healthy adults and often force-feed them on nutritious foods. This increases the dislike of that particular food in the child’s mind. Also branding certain foods as ‘bad’ or ‘unhealthy’ stirs a child’s curiosity to try these foods repeatedly. Some parents are over-conscious about their nutrition and fail to notice that they exert the same control over their children’s eating habits, which many-a-times ends up in overweight kids. Using a pastry as a reward for doing some chore or making your child do his/her daily exercise rigidly can always have the opposite effect on the kid. They either incorporate their reward food as a regular food or end up exercising less when told to do more of it.

Create a Positive Aura in your Home

Actions speak better than words. Instead of repeatedly telling your kid to eat healthy food, provide your child with nutritious options and a positive dining atmosphere and allow the child to pick his/her foods and the required quantities. A child’s appetite fluctuates during childhood and when they indicate their fullness through actions or words, never force the child to complete his/her remaining meal. If you are a parent who supports the ‘clean plate club, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com to become aware of the dangers involved in it. Physical activity for your child can be anything like dancing, cycling, skating or working in the family garden helping in simple chores.

Family dynamics can have a positive/negative impact on a child’s weight. Research findings show that:

Positive family patterns→ Family closeness, democratic style of parenting, mind-stimulating activities at home→ Children with healthy weight

Negative family patterns→ Over protectiveness, possessiveness, lack of parental support→ Overweight children

Try to involve your children in meal planning, shopping and preparation to encourage a healthy weight. Don’t curb your children from eating special foods, don’t use food as a reward and do help your children maintain a healthy body weight. Create a warm environment at home and ensure that kids look forward to more family time together.