Overweight teenagers will follow the example of parents who maintain a healthy body image and good weight control strategies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
- Researchers at the University of California in San Diego studied 103 overweight adolescents and their parents from the Minneapolis area.
- The team researched how well the family got along and the levels of parental depression, self esteem and body satisfaction influenced the children.
- If the parents practiced healthy weight control measures such as exercising and eating more fruits and vegetables, the teens tended to follow suit.
"Attachment or bonding in the family was shown to decrease children's episodes of over- eating," Dr. Brenda Lohman, author of the study, said. "Family and household stress has been linked to increased levels of childhood and adolescent obesity."
Labels: parental influence, teenagers, overweight
Posted By: Jane St. Clair