Parenting style and kid's obesity

[dhano923]

I thought this was an interesting article:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=2039672

[psophia17]

Very interesting!

I would like to know how strictness in parenting relates to snacking, and to the nutritional quality of the meals that the strict parents provide...

[maestramommy]

I thought this was interesting, but I think the article points out that there were some variables that didn't get looked at, like the mother's weight. I don't really know if strict parenting in general can lead to obesity, but personally I doubt it. I DO think that overbearing rules about "cleaning your plate" can lead to eating disorders of different kinds, and/or obesity. I must remember to relax until dd decides she's interested in solids :-).

[bcky2]

it is interesting to read and we dont do the clean your plate club here at all. i guess i see the fact that both of my boys have been raised the same and one is in the 100th percential for his age and the other in the 10th percential for his age leads me to believe that there are alot of other factors that influence weight then just parenting styles, even though i do believe it is a part of it :)

thanks for the article!

[lorien_ca]

good read, thanks. i'm also curious about the variables they didn't account for. i think it would be a great study to expand. not only along non-white lines, but also socio-ecconomic status and education level of the parents. i would hazard a guess that this makes some difference in the nutritional quality of meals/snacks offered, although i could be totally wrong. but often times seems that foods loaded with saturated fat and HFCS are generally cheaper and the marketing machine does a really good job of making kids want them. not to imply that there aren't load of exceptions out there, but on the whole, as a trend, IYKWIM?

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[Judegirl]

It also does not appear consider that a causal relationship may exist in the other direction; perhaps, for example, parents of children who are overweight by the time they are 2 or 3, believe they need to be stricter, are more frustrated and less tolerant, and therefore become stricter parents by 4 years old. The child's weight may be a predictor of parenting style rather than the cause.

The article makes no mention of any method other than observation. Perhaps they are studying not parenting styles, but performance; parents who are more likely to be strict *when others are watching* are not necessarily the same people who are strict with their children.

I could go on and on, but I won't. :) My point is that when studies like this are covered by the media, the result is ridiculous. Everything in there is problematic from a research perspective, so either the study was seriously flawed or the coverage is. I'm betting on the latter.

Best,
Jude

[maestramommy]

Good point! :-). I read another article today about how researches found letting an infant 5-12 weeks CIO is effective, and that comforting the infant when they are crying leads to less crying overall in the long run. Duh? I could've told them that :-).

[chlobo]

Well a child can be in the 100th percentile and still not be overweight, depending on body type, muscle mass, etc.

[bcky2]

that is true, but the ped has said he is overweight and to watch him. he does have a bit of a belly going on there ;) he has been a good eater from the minute he was born :)