Parent Modeling: Parents' Influence on a Child's Eating Behaviors
Research conducted over the past two decades suggests that parents are strong influencers of children’s eating behaviors and much of this influence comes through modelling.1 Modelling influences how well children are able to eat until satiation and then stop, rather than eating until the portion of food is gone or eating until the parent tells them they have had enough.2,3
The amount of fruit and vegetables children eat is associated with that of their parents, and similarly, the frequency of fast food, desserts, and soda a child consumes is associated with the parent’s diet, particularly the mother’s diet.7 Further, when children observe a parent eat when they are bored, or emotional, children are more likely to adopt these behaviors.4
Parent modelling of healthy eating is positively associated with healthier diets in adolescents, as well as younger children, even though adolescents often consume foods away from home, with peers, or on their own.10,11 More research is needed on what and how adolescents eat when they are at home by themselves or with peers, although social networks and social media may play a role.13
These changes with mealtime structure are associated with healthful diets in children:
- Regularly eating together as a family.
- Having everyone eat the same foods together.
- Creating a supportive environment during mealtimes.8
Parenting Styles & Healthy Eating
Parenting styles influence children’s diets.5,12
- Authoritative parenting (nurturing, responsive, and supportive with firm limits for kids and teens) links to healthier weight and dietary outcomes in children.
- Authoritarian parenting (extremely strict, focused on obedience) and permissive (loving and nurturing with little discipline, rules, or structure) parenting styles are associated with unhealthy eating and weight gain.12
Mindful Feeding
Recently, the term “mindful feeding” is appearing in the literature and refers to “…cultivating a present-centered awareness in the feeding context to increase parents’ awareness of their own responsive (and non-responsive) feeding behaviors.”3,4
Mindful feeding is a subset of mindful parenting and is associated with fewer conflicts about food and mealtime behavior.9 Parenting style, in general and around feeding, are influenced generationally, and culturally.
That is, parents tend to adopt the styles they experienced when they were children.
Talking to Your Child About Body Size and Healthy Weight
Based on the research described above, parents and caregivers can develop and relay a positive attitude about children’s body size and weight, exemplified by the phrase:
“Healthy kids come in all shapes and sizes.”
Instead of focusing on appearance, parents can talk about eating healthy and delicious foods to stay strong and feel good. In other words, focusing on healthy behaviors is more productive than discussing weight or restricting food intake.
Further, parents and caregivers can work towards modelling healthy behaviors and to avoid fat talk about themselves or others.
The research literature, however, is limited in providing guidance to parents on how to talk to children and adolescents when there is a health concern about their body sizes. Instead, guidance is based on the age and maturity of the child.
For example, children ages five and younger can be reassured that their caregivers are helping them eat the right amount and get enough physical activity so they will develop a strong and healthy body. The parent and caregivers are responsible for setting healthy habits for the family and may need to adjust what food and physical activity opportunities they are providing.
Older children and adolescents may need help addressing bullying about body size, strategies for confronting media images promoting unrealistic body sizes and appearances, and emotional support that assures them that your love is not dependent on the way they look.
Making food and physical activity changes as a family is supported in the research literature. Talk to your children and teens about what the family can do to support them, and how you can work together as a family to eat more healthfully and be physically active.
Key Takeaways
- It’s never too late for parents to start modelling a healthy lifestyle.
- Routinely eating together as a family, and having meals be conflict-free sets the stage for healthy eating.
- Developing an authoritative parenting style around food, and including foods that celebrate the family’s cultural background and traditions can set the stage for healthy eating habits and family closeness.
- When parents, health care providers, or children themselves are concerned about a child or teen’s weight, the best strategy is for the parents to:
- adopt more healthful habits;
- support emotional concerns;
- discuss food and physical activity in a positive, non-shaming manner; and
- adapt the home environment for all family members.
References
- Collins C, Duncanson K,Burrows T. A systematic review investigating associations between parenting style and child feeding behaviours. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2014;27(6):557–
- Lopez NV, Schembre S, Belcher BR, et al. Parenting styles, food-related parenting practices, and children's healthy eating: A mediation analysis to examine relationships between parenting and child diet. Appetite. 2018;128:205-213.
- Goodman LC, Roberts LT, Musher-Eizenman DR. Mindful feeding: A pathway between parenting style and child eating behaviors. Eat Behav. 2020;36:101335.
- Gouveia MJ, Canavarro MC, Moreira H. How can mindful parenting be related to emotional eating and overeating in childhood and adolescence? The mediating role of parenting stress and parental child-feeding practices. Appetite. 2019;138:102-114.
- Kiefner-Burmeister A, Hoffmann D, Zbur S, Musher-Eizenman D. Implementation of parental feeding practices: does parenting style matter?. Public Health Nutr. 2016;19(13):2410-2414.
- Murphy J, Zlomke K, VanOrmer J, Swingle H. Impact of Disruptive Behavior in Childhood Feeding Difficulties. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2020;27(2):406-415.
- Mason TB, Smith KE, Dunton GF. Maternal parenting styles and ecological momentary assessment of maternal feeding practices and child food intake across middle childhood to early adolescence. Pediatr Obes. 2020;15(10):e12683.
- Yee AZ, Lwin MO, Ho SS. The influence of parental practices on child promotive and preventive food consumption behaviors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14(1):47. Published 2017 Apr 11.
- Vollmer RL. Parental feeding style changes the relationships between children's food preferences and food parenting practices: The case for comprehensive food parenting interventions by pediatric healthcare professionals. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2019;24(1):e12230.
- Jansen E, Thapaliya G, Aghababian A, Sadler J, Smith K, Carnell S. Parental stress, food parenting practices and child snack intake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appetite. 2021;161:105119.
- Koning M, Vink JM, Renders C, Notten N, Eisinga R, Larsen JK. Is the Prospective Link between Parental Stress and Adolescent Snack Intake or Weight Outcome Mediated by Food Parenting Practices?. Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2485. Published 2021 Jul 21.
- Patel C, Karasouli E, Shuttlewood E, Meyer C. Food Parenting Practices among Parents with Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1966. Published 2018 Dec 12
- Reicks M, Banna J, Cluskey M, et al. Influence of Parenting Practices on Eating Behaviors of Early Adolescents during Independent Eating Occasions: Implications for Obesity Prevention. Nutrients. 2015;7(10):8783-8801. Published 2015 Oct 22.
- Kiefner-Burmeister A, Hinman N. The Role of General Parenting Style in Child Diet and Obesity Risk. Curr Nutr Rep. 2020;9(1):14-30.
- M Perdew M, Liu S, Naylor PJ. Family-based nutrition interventions for obesity prevention among school-aged children: a systematic review. Transl Behav Med. 2021;11(3):709-723.
- Lampe EW, Abber SR, Forman EM, Manasse SM. Guidelines for caregivers and healthcare professionals on speaking to children about overweight and obesity: a systematic review of the gray literature. Transl Behav Med. 2020;10(5):1144-1154
- Faircloth RS, Brooks DI, Vogt KS, Emerick JE. Talking About Childhood Obesity: A Survey of What Parents Want. Acad Pediatr. 2019;19(7):756-763.
- Lombardi K, Beatty S, Devine A, Wallace R, Costello L. Fat talk: Influences on body image in childcare. Health Promot J Austr. 2020;31(2):224-231.
- Vanderkruik R, Conte I, Dimidjian S. Fat talk frequency in high school women: Changes associated with participation in the Body Project. Body Image. 2020;34:196-200.
Next Steps
If you think your teen needs assistance with their diet, schedule an appointment with a pediatrician, family medicine, or internal medicine provider. View our providers in each of these areas.
Recipes
Research on healthy eating for children and teens identifies how much food from each food group is required for their growth, development, and activity. With these in mind, we created healthy recipes for you and your family to cook at home with low cost and short cook and prep times.
Contact Us
For additional questions or to request an in-person workshop please email us at uuccn@utah.edu.
