Think twice before scolding your child for taking seconds from the cookie jar. Strict parental control over diet can backfire and actually increase kids' weight gain.
A recent Pennsylvania State University study that tracked 197 white girls (starting when they were 5) and their parents for 10 years found self-control was the best predictor of weight and body mass index. Girls with lower self-discipline were about twice as likely to become overweight, and parents' strict restrictions aggravated the risk.
But obesity doesn't have to be a child's fate, Penn State researcher Stephanie Anzman says. Her advice to parents:
Manage diet covertly.
Stock the fridge with healthful options so you'll never have to explicitly forbid your child from eating a certain food. By controlling the selection, you give the illusion of choice.
Be a role model.
"Kids need a reference to determine what is an appropriate portion size, how much physical activity is normal and what's good to eat," Anzman says. Parents can "be the example."
Teach discipline.
In an American Academy of Pediatrics study, children who were trained to recognize their own cues of hunger and fullness could control their eating better. Try asking, "Are you hungry for lunch?" instead of saying, "It's noon, so it's time to eat."
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