When it comes to overweight, parents influence their children
We already knew that the bad behavior of parents was easily transmitted to their offspring: cigarettes, sedentary lifestyle, violence … But a recent discovery, published in theJournal of Experimental Child Psychology(1) last month, exploits the opposite vein.
It demonstrates that children reproduce parenting behaviors based on the rejection of obesity. This study from New Zealand, for once, is based oncertain habits acquired by mimicry of childrenwithin their family.
What does this mean?
From kindergarten, and even more so around the age of five, children are receptive to the education given by parents. Zeeland scientists from the University of Otago have observed this: a mother’s opinions and attitudes, which stigmatize obesity, havea definite impacton the child. The more it expresses its aversion to extra pounds, the more the young child turns away from what overweight conveys and what it represents.
It is with the support of images, the BMI (Body Mass Index, cf. http://www.calculersonimc.fr/faites-le-test.html) of the parents, their school level and the time spent in front of the television, that the leaders of the study determined at what point in his life a child absorbs and displays the behaviors of his family. This experience teaches us that, far from taking into account the innate aspect of education, it is the acquired character, socially speaking, that also serves as a triggering factor for an incipient aversion to excess kilos.
The study in question
Professor Ted Ruffman’s team sought to findout at what age this way of thinking was establishedand, above all, why it developed in young children. For this, 70 babies and infants were selected by psychological researchers. Photos, presented in pairs, were shown to them.
Each time, the child could view an obese character on one of the images and a subject with a more moderate weight on the other. Only the body of these individuals was highlighted, the face was hidden to prevent affect from interfering in the choices of children. At the same time, psychologists tested the attitude of mothers using questionnaires.
It shows that young children under one year of age turned more to obese people and those underthree years of agepreferred profiles with normal build.
Professor Ruffamn wants to clear up a misunderstanding: that of beingshocked by this kind of study. In humans, this experiment just seeks to highlight that in two years, physical identification is carried towards normal silhouettes. And this is due, as this study notes, to the education and lifestyle habits of mothers that reflect societal attitudes within families much more than the extended entourage to friends or other school relationships.
It is clear that children from parents who take to heart how to eat, acquire healthy sports habits, aware of the importance of taking their meals in a relaxed atmosphere, with quality nutritious products… will be themselves sensitive to these behaviors.
But even more, it must be kept in mind that overweight people, who are the target of constant mockery from their environment, cause them phases of anxiety, low self-esteem, feelings of rejection… which trigger a desire for isolation associated with a negative image of one’s own bodytag. Thus, it is thanks to this experience that experts force us to realize that nothing beats mutual aid, support and encouragement from each of us in the fight against this modern scourge.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.