1. Parental Role on Childhood Obesity
Review of Literature Kelsey Ewert
Mentor: Keri Edwards M.S., CCLS
Databases:
• Psycinfo
• Sociological Abstracts
• Family Studies Abstracts
Search Terms:
• Parental efficacy in overweight children
• Parent responsibility in overweight
adolescents
• Parent role in obese children
• Relationship between parent and child with
food
• Parent role in food decisions in youth
• Government responsibility with obese
children
1. Monitor
– Eating habits, exercise, screen
time, weight
2. Educate
– Both parents and children
together
3. Intervene
– Join community health run
programs and be firm with child
in restrictions
RESULTS
Percentage of high school students who were obese
Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2011
(Centers for Disease Control, 2011)
Eating Habits
Support and Encouragement
Exercise
Restrict Screen Time
Monitor Health of Child
Epidemic
 17% (12.7 million) US children and
adolescents aged 2--19 years had
obesity.
 Having BMI in the 90th percentile
at the ages of 3-5 was associated
with adult obesity, central obesity
and metabolic syndrome.
 Minorities are 30% more likely to
be obese
 Obesity has quadrupled in the past
decade amongst children
 Top three contributors in
cardiovascular disease, asthma,
shortened lifespans, Type 11
Diabetes and depression and other
health issues
• Reduce 100% Fruit juice intake
to 4-6 ounces
• Limit over processed foods high
in calories
• 3-4 servings of fruits and
vegetables daily
• Engage in authoritative behavior
in feeding child
• Parent’s and children have similar
BMI’s through adolescents
• Support systems moderate inverse
relationships between overweight and
physical well being
• Eat dinner and exercise together as a
family
• 60 minutes of vigorous exercise daily
• Reduce indoor leisure activities
• Walk or bike to school and get outside
more often
Illinois is the only state in US to
mandate all schools have PE class
Research Questions
• How can parents prevent their
child from long term health
complications by avoiding
obesity?
• What is the government currently
doing to help families and this
dilemma?
• No more than 2 hours of TV a day
• Higher processed food is eaten in
front of screen than of any other
leisure activity
• Higher rates of obesity in children
who had TV’s in bedroom
• Won’t directly lead to obesity but
constitutes as inactivity that needs to
be reduced
• Regular doctor checkups
• Linear relationship between childhood
BMI to adulthood
• Monitor eating habits, weight, time spent
inactive
Conclusion
Method