Dr. David Janicke, assistant professor of clinical and health psychology, studied 96 overweight or obese children in order to find out how parental well-being, bullying by peers, and depression affect the health of these children. He found that all three were linked to a poorer quality of life.
Parents who are struggling with issues of their own have less energy and may not be able to provide the support that an overweight child requires to lose weight, Dr. Janicke said. Therefore, tending to the needs of the parents may be the best way to help overweight children.
"It's important for parents to take time out to take care of themselves," he wrote in a report published in the journal Obesity.
Labels: overweight, depression, parental-involvement
Posted By: Aspen Education Group