Obesity in children may be related to whether moms and dads are lenient or strict in the way that they parent. At least, that’s the upshot of a study on childhood obesity and parenting styles as conducted by Lisa Kakinami of McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
It seems that stricter middle class parents tend to have children who pack on the pounds compared to the children of more affectionate, more flexible parents who actually have conversations with their children to decide important issues. The cause and effect is greater in younger children, up to the age of 11 years. In such children, a stricter parenting style translated in the risk of obesity rising by a full one-third.
Affection and Limits
Kakinami presented her results at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology & Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity & Metabolism Scientific Sessions 2014. “If you’re treating your child with a balance of affection and limits—these are the kids who are least likely to be obese,” said Kakinami.
The takeaway? Talk to your child when he wants to eat junk food. Explain what it will do to his body. Make healthier suggestions of what he might eat and when. Ask for your child’s input, so you’re not talking to him, but having a conversation with him.
Your conversation with your child should be an ongoing conversation, and it’s important to be consistent in the message you give over. While conjecture may not be appropriate when it comes to the results of a study, the opposite of this style of parenting would be the authoritative parent, who lays down the law and bars discussion. Perhaps, when a child has no voice or real way to converse with a parent, he turns to food for comfort.
Obesity in Children: Time for a Change?
It’s not easy to change a parenting style. But it’s a whole lot easier than your child developing diabetes. So if you tend to have a parenting style that brooks no discussion or argument, and your child is gaining weight, you may want to change the way you parent.
It isn’t easy to change parenting styles in midstream. But it’s a whole lot easier than having a child develop diabetes. That’s something none of us want to happen.
About Varda Epstein
Varda Meyers Epstein serves as editor in chief of Kars4Kids Parenting. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Varda is the mother of 12 children and is also a grandmother of 12. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Learning Site, The eLearning Site, and Internet4Classrooms.