Parents Can, Indeed, Help Teens Stay Slim
Eat together and cut back on TV time, experts suggest

(HealthDay News) -- By the time a child has reached adolescence, parents might think they don't have much impact on the kid's weight.

But research now suggests that's just not so.

Teens whose families eat together and those who spend less time in front of the TV or playing video games tend to be thinner, the research has found.

"Not skipping meals seems to be the biggest factor that can help with regard to the weight of kids," study author Molly Martin, an assistant professor of sociology and demography at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, told HealthDay.

Martin acknowledged that family lifestyle isn't the only thing that influences teens' weight, but she said that how a family behaves probably has more of an impact than parents might expect.

"My study finds that weight runs in families, but it's not just because of genetics," she said. "What we do together, how we spend our time together, what we eat and how we organize ourselves as family matters."

Andrea Vazzana, clinical coordinator of the pediatric weight management program at the New York University Child Study Center in New York City, said she agreed that the family meal was a very important influence on a child's weight.

"I think the importance of family meals is something that should be underscored," Vazzana told HealthDay. "Kids that sit down with their family tend to have a more normal weight. Parents can provide structure for the meal, and the meal tends to be more well-balanced. Parents can also set limits around food."

After reviewing data from more than 2,500 sets of twins, siblings and half-siblings, Martin found that, in addition to family genetics, two lifestyle factors appeared to be important predictors in a child's weight: whether the family ate together and how much time was spent watching TV or playing video games.

Martin's analysis also examined the roles of parental obesity, socioeconomic states, parental education, birth weight and activity levels. However, none of these factors emerged as a significant contributor to a teen's heaviness.

"Families develop patterns together," Martin explained. And she said that families can teach good patterns: "Try to be active together. Go for a walk after dinner, play with the dog, play Frisbee. Spend quality time together that's also active time."

Along with eating together as a family as often as possible, and limiting screen time to no more than two hours a day, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents:

• Provide plenty of healthy food options, such as fruits and vegetables.
• Keep low-fat or no-fat dairy products in the refrigerator.
• Limit soda consumption and encourage kids to drink water.
• Encourage children to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.
• "Sometimes it's really difficult to be healthy, and we may start adopting behaviors that really don't work well," Martin said. "But there are some things we can do consciously -- and even small changes can make a long-term difference in weight."

On the Web

To learn more about the media's effect on children's weight, visit the National Institute on Media and the Family.

SOURCES: HealthDay News; Molly A. Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor, sociology and demography, Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.; Andrea Vazzana, Ph.D., clinical coordinator, pediatric weight management program, New York University Child Study Center, New York City; December 2008, American Journal of Sociology, supplement; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)
Author: Serena Gordon
Publication Date: Jan. 31, 2010
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