"Parents have difficulty changing their kid's dietary and physical activity behaviours,[/img]
The study is based on a survey of 202 parents whose kids were enrolled in an obesity clinic in Providence, Rhode Island in 2008 and 2009. The survey probed parents' preparation to take actionable steps to enhance their child's eating habits and physical activity levels. More than two thirds were female, and nearly all (94 percent) were classified as heavy.
Although most of the kids have been referred to the obesity clinic by a primary care provider and had metabolic mark of obesity, 31.4 percent of parents perceived their child's health as excellent or very great and 28 percent did not perceive their kid's weight as a health concern.
Parents signaled a greater interest in helping their child eat a healthful diet than supporting the pediatrician-recommended hour of daily physical activity.
Specifically, 61.4 percent of parents reported that they were improving their child's eating habits (less junk food, more fruits and vegetables) while only 41.1 percent said they were raising their child's involvement in energetic play, sports, dancing or even walking. Both diet and exercise are considered keys to good health, and a growing body of evidence indicates that these health habits are formed early in life.
Parents who'd talked with their primary care physician about healthful eating strategies were more inclined to take the "action stage of change" with their child's diet. By comparison, parents who viewed their own struggle with weight as a health concern were less likely to be addressing their kid's eating habits.
The researchers said income, instruction and race/ethnicity had no statistically significant bearing on a parent's likelihood of making their kid dietary changes.
Concerning physical action, researchers don't know why parents seem to accentuate its role in good health, but the finding is consistent with other recent studies that indicate America's youth are mainly out-of-shape and sedentary, replacing playtime with "display time."
Specialists say one strategy to counteract the tendency may be to intervene early. Parents with children 14 or older were considerably less prone to become successful in helping their child develop a physical dimension to their life than parents of younger kids.
Poverty may also play a part in how much children move as parents with annual incomes of less than $40,000 were also less likely to be actively engaged in ensuring their kid got routine exercise.
The above story is based on materials provided by http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140721142129.htm
