What role do families play in childhood obesity?
Of course, children can inherit the tendency to gain weight easily. But there is much more to family influence than that. Children eat and are – or aren’t – physically active in their family context. Parents, grandparents, and other adults in the household, model eating and activity behavior that shapes how children behave. It is not possible for an overweight child to be successful in weight managment without the family making habit changes, too. Families can provide their children with healthy eating habits, active lifestyles, and models of how to incorporate these into daily life. This is a gift that money can’t buy!
