An overwhelming number of parents (up to 66%) are controlling and pressuring their teenagers to eat all the food on their plate, regardless of whether or not the teen is obese, according to a new study, published in Pediatrics. The study, “Food-Related Parenting Practices and Adolescent Weight Status: A Population-Based Study,” identified the extent of food controlling practices carried out by parents across the U.S.
The researchers found that many parents are restricting or pressuring food intake in their teenage children. They note that these restrictive or controlling behaviors are not good for achieving ideal teenage weight.
The lead author of the study, Katie Loth, doctoral candidate and research assistant at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said:
“Parents do use high levels of control, such as restriction and pressure to eat. I was surprised at some of the parent behaviors, like feeling that their children should clean their plates and not waste food.
In the 1950s, cleaning your plate meant something different. Portion sizes have gotten bigger over time, and if you encourage kids to rely on environmental indicators, like how much food is on their plates or the time of day, they’ll lose the ability to rely on internal cues to know whether they’re hungry or full.”
Obesity in the U.S. is a serious public health issue, twelve states have 30%+ obesity rates today, compared to just one in 2007, and adolescent obesity in particular continues to rise. Researchers are continuously trying to find ways to tackle the problem and see whether parental food-related behaviors could have any substantial impact.
The team analyzed two different population-based studies of parents and teens to see what link restrictive or pressuring behaviors had on teenage weight status.
Restrictive parental behaviors included ensuring that their children don’t eat too many sweets or regulating how much they are eating. Pressuring behaviors included making sure their children always finished all the food on their plate at meal times.
Teenagers who were obese or overweight were more likely to be under restrictive control by their parents – limiting the amount of food they should eat. In contrast, teenagers who weren’t overweight were more likely to be pressured to eat by their parents.
The authors of the study concluded:
“Given that there is accumulating evidence for the detrimental effects of controlling feeding practices on children’s ability to self-regulate energy intake, these findings suggest that parents should be educated and empowered through anticipatory guidance to encourage moderation rather than overconsumption and emphasize healthful food choices rather than restrictive eating patterns.”
Written by Joseph Nordqvist