Dads' Parenting Styles Linked to Childhood Obesity

Ivanhoe Newswire
Tuesday, May 8, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The way fathers parent may determine whether their child becomes overweight or obese.

A new Australian study looked at about 5,000 children ages 4 to 5, their body mass index (BMI), and the parenting styles of their moms and dads.

Researchers found fathers who were lenient or disengaged were more likely to have heavy children than dads set clear limits for their children. Researchers report mothers' parenting styles had no effect on a child's BMI.
"This study of a large cross-section of Australian pre-schoolers has, for the first time, suggested that fathers could be at the frontline in preventing early childhood obesity," Associate Professor Melissa Wake of the Centre for Community Child Health was quoted as saying. "Mothers are often blamed for their children's obesity, but this study suggests that for more effective prevention, perhaps we should focus on the whole family."
Childhood obesity in Australia is growing at an alarming rate, as it is elsewhere around the world. Previous research has shown more than 20 percent of Australian preschool children are overweight or obese.

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SOURCE: Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, May 5-8, 2007