Running head: The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
William Ingram
The University of Memphis
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is one of the biggest problems our nation faces to this day. In fact, as
of 2014, 31.4% of children in the United States of America are overweight or obese. This
epidemic is not to be overlooked, as the complications that can arise from childhood obesity tend
to be more aggressive in development, meaning that conditions such as cardiovascular disease
and type 2 diabetes are becoming more common in children, and can even lead to a major
problem if this epidemic is led to continue (Myoungock & Whittemore, 2015, p. 1). The primary
environment in which a child develops is the home environment, which would theoretically
make it easier for the childs development and overall health to be monitored. This brings up
questions pertaining to parenting styles and to what extent parents can actually control their
childs health by monitoring things such as their diet and their physical activity. This being said,
active, involved parenting is probably the most important factor that goes into preventing
childhood obesity. In the end, it is the parents who are responsible for raising their child, and
without their active involvement the child will grow and flourish much less efficiently into a
healthy, responsible adult.
To look at the childhood obesity epidemic in more depth, we have to understand how and
why it occurs. The two main culprits that lead to childhood obesity are poor diet and lack of
exercise. This being said, other factors can also lead into this, such as a lifestyle involving fast
food restaurants and an excess of television and video games, which have become somewhat
mainstream now and appear to be increasing in their popularity steadily as we continue into the
future. In fact, childhood obesity is over 200% more prevalent than it was just thirty years in the
past (Windsor, Murrell, & Magun-Jackson, 2015, p. 24). From childhood obesity can arise
serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. According to
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
Myoungock and Whittehead (2015), of children aged from 5-17 years old, about 70% had at least
one risk factor for a cardiovascular disease. On top of this, about 39% of obese children had at
least two risk factors for a cardiovascular disease, including type 2 diabetes (p. 1). These issues
shed light on the significance of this epidemic of childhood obesity and the fact that we as a
society need to find answers and solutions to it.
Parenting styles can play a great role in the prevention and treatment of childhood
obesity. There are four basic kinds of parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive,
and neglectful. Authoritative parents are characterized by their high expectations and high
responsiveness, which typically leads to children having qualities such as high self-esteem, good
verbal skills, and excellent academic achievement. Authoritarian parents are characterized by
their high expectations but low responsiveness, which typically leads to children falling short of
reaching the higher stages of cognitive and moral development, as well as having low academic
achievement. Permissive parents are characterized by their low expectations but high
responsiveness, which leads to children essentially in the mindset that they can do pretty much
whatever they want with no repercussions, which can lead to problems with academia as well as
social skills. Neglectful parents are characterized by their low expectations and low
responsiveness, which leads to children acting out to gain attention and can contribute to low
levels of socio-emotional development and academic achievement (Windsor, Murrell, & MagunJackson, 2015, p. 24).
Now that we have explored both the causes of obesity and the details of different
parenting styles, we can begin to connect the two. Given the four parenting styles, it is clear that
the authoritative style (high expectations and high responsiveness) is the most effective parenting
style, as the parents will tend to control what the child eats and set high expectations of physical
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
health for the child. This being said, parents who are more involved in their childrens lives
should tend to have lower chances of their children having childhood obesity. In a study done
that longitudinally analyzed the parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican
American families, however, it was found that if a parent restricted food from the child, their
weight status would end up higher than otherwise, and it was found that if a parent pressured a
child to eat, their weight status would end up lower than otherwise. From this study, it was
concluded that any controlling feeding practices by a parent will prove detrimental to the child,
so parents should be educated on this to use healthy feeding habits rather than the unhealthy,
controlled feeding habits (Tschann,, Martinez, Penilla, Gregorich, Pasch, de Groat, & Butte,
2015). This study therefore brings up new questions that could be looked further into, such as if
the parenting style depends on the culture or the child, or if there is even a universal parenting
style than can be considered the best for preventing childhood obesity.
Overall, involved parenting really does make a difference in a childs physical health as
they develop, either positively or negatively. More information is needed to determine
specifically what should be done parenting-wise to prevent ones child from becoming
overweight or obese, but through close observation of ones child and ones ability to adapt, a
parent can potentially do without this information to do what is best for their unique child.
Obesity is still a huge epidemic not only in the United States of America, but in other parts of the
world as well, and society should make it a priority to change the culture revolving around fast
food restaurants, television, and video games so that its next generations will not end up like this
one, where almost a third of American children are overweight or obese, something that can be
solved before it happens, through active, involved parenting in the childs life and development.
Through this, society can save itself from this epidemic of childhood obesity.
The Relationship between Parenting and Childhood Obesity
References
Myoungock, J., & Whittemore, R. (2015). The Family Management Style Framework for
Families of Children with Obesity. Journal Of Theory Construction & Testing, 19(1), 514.
Tschann, J. M., Martinez, S. M., Penilla, C., Gregorich, S. E., Pasch, L. A., de Groat, C. L., & ...
Butte, N. F. (2015). Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican
American families: a longitudinal analysis. International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition
& Physical Activity, 12(1), 1. doi:10.1186/s12966-015-0224-2
Windsor, D.L., Murrell, V.S., & Magun-Jackson, S. (2015). Lifespan development: An
educational psychology perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.
