Originally published August 22 2005
Unhealthy lifestyle choices are being learned at home, researchers say
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The bad habits of parents with weight problems are leading to increases in childhood obesity, Arizona State University researchers recently found.
Ashley Fenzl Crossman, a researcher from Arizona State University, said it was not just genes that parents passed on to their children, but also their bad habits.
"Our research suggests that prevention must begin at home," she said.
"We need a public health campaign that educates all adults and children in the home on the importance of creating a family environment that promotes healthy habits."
Obesity had become epidemic in many developed nations, especially the US but also in the UK.
Around 15% of youngsters aged 12 to 19 in the US are currently overweight or obese - an increase of a third since the 1970s.
The prevalence of obesity among children aged two to 10 in England has also increased from 9.9% in 1995 to 13.7% in 2003.
The researchers, presenting their results at the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Philadelphia, studied around 6,400 school children, first in 1995 and then again in 2001-02.
They found that stronger social bonds between patient and child meant the youngster was more likely to be overweight.
Ms Crossman said: "The closer children are to their parents, the more likely they are to internalise the values and norms that their parents promote or model.
Nearly two-third of adults are overweight and 30% are obese.
"Other reasons might include over-eating due to separation anxiety when the child leaves the home, or parents not wanting to criticise their children's eating habits when they are young."
Children whose parents had a higher level of education were less at risk from obesity.
But household income was not a significant influence on obesity risk.
The researchers also found that race and ethnic differences were insignificant.
Overall, as has long been suspected, adolescents were more likely to become overweight if their parents were obese.
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