A recent study from pediatrics researchers at the University at Buffalo suggests that toddlers who are faced with parental rules about what to eat develop better eating habits later in their childhood, regardless of the self-restraint they demonstrate. The connection between self-restraint and eating habits has been studied widely in adults and adolescents, but this research is among the first to investigate it in very young children.
The findings suggest that self-restraint in two year-olds doesn't itself lead to healthier habits by the time the child is four; it must be combined with parental rules about eating. Neha Sharma, a co-author of the paper, explained the significance when presenting the research at ObesityWeek 2014 in Boston, as quoted in a University of Buffalo news release:
It is amazing to see that a parental rule about which types of food a child can and cannot eat could have such a great impact on child eating habits. Without these boundaries set by caregivers, the benefits of high self-regulation on weight gain and childhood obesity could be diminished. This illustrates just how important parental involvement is in influencing child eating habits.
Seventeen percent of American children age 2-19 are obese, as are nearly 35 percent of adults, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity is well-known as a pressing public health issue, and children who are obese are much less likely to attain healthy weights as adults.
Furthermore, a study published this week in Pediatrics suggests that obese youth are very likely to become obese teens, contrary to a popular idea that overweight adolescents have "baby fat" that will disappear with puberty. Researchers found that a child's weight at age 11 is a good indicator of his or her weight at age 16: 83 percent of obese fifth-graders remained obese, and 87 percent of normal-weight fifth graders remained at a normal weight five years later.
By setting guidelines and rules for toddlers, parents and caretakers can play a key role in guiding society's very youngest members towards healthy eating habits with life-long impacts.
Previously: No bribery necessary: Children eat more vegetables when they understand how food affects their bodies, Examining why instilling healthy eating and exercise habits in children may not prevent obesity later in life and How to combat childhood obesity? Try everything
Photo by David Goehring
