Originally published October 21 2005
Study suggests weight loss is a behavior parents should model for kids
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A study presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity's annual meeting in Vancouver finds that weight loss can be modeled by parents to motivate their children.
When overweight parents lose weight, their overweight kids may do likewise.
That weight loss seems to last for the long haul -- five years, according to a study presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity's annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
In short, kids often adopt their parents' habits.
That could make parents a tipping point in whether overweight families lose their extra pounds.
The researchers behind the study include Leonard Epstein, PhD.
He works in the pediatrics department at the State University of New York at Buffalo's medical school.
The researchers studied 114 overweight families from four weight control studies.
The kids in those families were 6-12 years old.
As the parents got in shape, their overweight kids tended to follow in their footsteps.
BMI changes in overweight parents predicted BMI changes in their overweight kids for five years, the researchers found.
The same positive pattern had been noted by the researchers in a previous study.
That study, published in June in Obesity Research, tracked 110 overweight families for a shorter period (two years).
Those families were participating in two weight control studies.
The parents completed surveys about how often they had used those tips.
The results showed that parents' example was important to their kids.
In other words, model the behavior you want to see in your kids.
Ask a doctor for help set goals for weight loss and activity.
Kids are still growing, so make sure their nutritional needs are met.
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