By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Lacey Chapa, MS, Assistant Nutrition Education Coordinator, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida
“Finish what’s on your plate and we’ll see about dessert.”
“Eat! You haven’t touched your dinner!”
“Still hungry? Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
If one of these parental admonitions has come out of your mouth at the dinner table, you’re certainly not alone.
But while these conversations are common, experts are beginning to believe that frequent parental pressure or a restrictive atmosphere around food may actually do more harm than good. These well-intentioned efforts may cause children to lose touch with their natural hunger cues, leading to weight gain and other problematic eating behaviors.
Recently, researchers writing in the journal Pediatrics surveyed parents of more than 2000 adolescents to learn more about how parents may either pressure their children to eat or limit their intake of various foods. About half of parents thought their children should always eat all the food on their plate, and around 40% said they tried to get their teen to eat even if he or she was not hungry. This was true even for teens who were overweight, and fathers were more likely than mothers to push their children to eat. At the same time, a majority of parents, especially those whose teens were overweight, reported restricting the amount of sweets and high-fat foods their teens consumed.
This study shows that parents of young teens are both controlling teens’ eating habits and pressuring them to eat, practices that can backfire. Instead, experts suggest providing regular, healthful family meals and snacks, encouraging teens to learn how to self-regulate, and modeling a healthy lifestyle.
Further Reading from UF/IFAS
Raising Healthy Children: Promoting a Positive Feeding Experience
Managing Food-Related Family Disagreements
Family Nutrition: Parenting and Family Life
Raising Healthy Children: The Importance of Family Meals
(Image credit: playmobil family dinner by Liz. CC license.)
References:
Loth, K. A., MacLehose, R. F., Fulkerson, J. A., Crow, S., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2013). Food-related parenting practices and adolescent weight status: A population-based study. Pediatrics, 131, e1443. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-3073
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